Universal Air Products

Application & Uses

Gas Hydrogen

AUTOMOTIVE & TRANSPORTATION EQUIPMENT

Hydrogen is being used in mass scale to decarbonize the transportation sector, by using electric vehicles fed by a fuel cell transforming hydrogen into electricity. Hydrogen is stored in the stations and on the vehicles in advanced hydrogen tanks, in liquid form or as gas compressed at high pressure. Hydrogen is also used for metal heat treatment in vehicles, and used in mixtures for arc and plasma welding of stainless steels.

CHEMICALS

Hydrogen is used to manufacture dimethyl ether (DME) and propylene that are important sources of industrial chemicals and plastic products. Hydrogen is also used for the synthesis of ammonia and other amines (e.g. aniline) or alkanes (by hydrogenation of alkenes). In combination with carbon monoxide (synthesis gas) hydrogen is used for methanol and synthetic fuel production.

ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

Hydrogen is used in Silicon epitaxy processes. Hydrogen is also used in EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) tools to minimize Sn deposition, as well as a co-reactant in (PE)ALD processes (Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition).

GLASS

Hydrogen mixed with nitrogen creates a reductive atmosphere over the tin bath in glass production process preventing oxygen to react with the tin. Hydrogen is used in heat treatment (oxy-hydrogen flame) of hollow glass and optic fibers pre-forms.

Laboratories & Research Centres

Hydrogen is a carrier gas in gas chromatography and in various analytical instrument applications (flame ionization detector).

METAL PRODUCTION

Hydrogen, mixed with protective inert gases (H2 diluted in nitrogen) eliminates all oxygen traces, harmful for these medium and high temperature processes. Hydrogen, mixed with nitrogen, is used for metal heat treatment (heating operations applied to metals - sheets, tubes, wires or parts - to improve their mechanical properties). Hydrogen is also used in mixtures for arc or plasma welding of stainless steels.

OIL & GAS

Hydrogen is used in refinery to remove sulphur from petroleum products (hydrodesulfurization process) to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions during fuel combustion and prevent acid rain. Hydrogen is used in many other units in refineries : to crack long-chain hydrocarbons into lighter hydrocarbons (hydrocracking process), to convert normal paraffins into iso-paraffins and improve the product properties (hydro isomerisation) and to remove aromatic compounds from a mixture, especially as part of the oil refining process (de-aromatisation).

SPACE

Liquid hydrogen is used as rocket or launcher propellant. In combination with an oxidizer such as liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen yields the highest specific impulse, or efficiency in relation to the amount of propellant consumed of any known rocket propellant.