Hydrogen permeation behavior and mechanisms in nitrile butadiene rubber composites for hydrogen sealing

Abstract

As the most widely used sealing component in hydrogen systems, rubber seals are affected by hydrogen over long-term service. Hydrogen molecules can dissolve into rubber materials and diffuse through the material. Studies have shown that adding fillers can enhance rubber's performance, improve its compatibility with hydrogen, and reduce the damage caused by hydrogen diffusion. Therefore, this study integrates experimental hydrogen permeation research with finite element modeling for nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR). The aim is to investigate the influence of filler properties on the microstructure, hydrogen permeation behavior, and hydrogen concentration distribution within NBR. Ultimately, the study elucidates the mechanisms governing hydrogen distribution evolution and permeation in NBR under hydrogen environments. The results indicate that the crosslink density of NBR filled with carbon black (NBR-CB) and silica (NBR-SC) is directly proportional to the filler content. NBR with higher filler content exhibits a lower hydrogen permeation coefficient and superior hydrogen barrier properties. In contrast to silica fillers, carbon black fillers demonstrate strong adsorption and a more pronounced barrier effect against hydrogen molecules, thereby enhancing the hydrogen barrier efficiency. The increase in carbon black's hydrogen solubility (from 2.2 × 10^-4 to 16.9 × 10^-4 cc(STP)·cm^-3(polymer)·cmHg^-1) effectively reduces the hydrogen permeation coefficient. In contrast, the rise in carbon black's hydrogen diffusion coefficient (from 0.1 × 10^-6 to 4.1 × 10^-6 cm^2·s^-1) exacerbates the overall hydrogen permeation coefficient of NBR-CB, thereby intensifying the hydrogen permeation process.