A study investigated hydrogen permeability in sulfur-cured NBR composites filled with carbon black (CB) and silica, using volumetric analysis across pressures ranging from 1.2 to 92.6 MPa. Both pure NBR and MT CB- and silica-filled NBR exhibited a single sorption mechanism that followed Henry’s law, indicating hydrogen absorption into the polymer chains. In contrast, HAF CB-filled NBR displayed dual sorption behavior, adhering to both Henry’s law and the Langmuir model, which suggests additional hydrogen adsorption at the filler interface. Hydrogen diffusivity in NBR followed Knudsen diffusion at low pressures and bulk diffusion at high pressures. In HAF CB-filled NBR, permeability decreased exponentially with increasing density, while in MT CB- and silica-filled NBR, it declined linearly. The strong polymer-filler interactions in HAF CB significantly influenced permeability. Permeability trends closely correlated with hardness, tensile strength, and density, allowing for the establishment of quantitative relationships between these physical and mechanical properties. These findings indicate that analyzing these properties can predict hydrogen permeability, positioning NBR composites as promising sealing materials for high-pressure hydrogen storage in refueling stations and fuel cell vehicles.
The worsening environmental pollution has increased the interest in developing eco-friendly technologies. The purpose of this study is to develop an aero-heat exchanger to reduce the emission of environmental pollutants. The operating conditions of an aircraft are extremely harsh, leading to challenges with the determination of appropriate materials and structures that can withstand the severe conditions. In addition, since the tubes brazed to the tube-sheet are structurally fragile, it is essential to assess the structural integrity of tubes. In this study, the overall structural integrity of the tubular heat exchanger under development was evaluated. An appraisal of the junctions between tubes and tube-sheet, which are the most critical parts, was conducted. A finite element (FE) analysis was employed for the assessment of structural integrity. FE analysis was used to evaluate the brazed joint of tubes using a model in which specific tubes were designed to withstand the high temperature of the tube-sheet. The evaluation was carried out compared with the fatigue strength of Inconel 625, the material constituting the heat exchanger.