IKV explores hydrogen’s application opportunities for plastics; seeks venture partners
According to IKV, it is conducting a market and technology study on Hydrogen as a component for achieving a carbon-neutral economy, and is seeking interested partners for identifying application possibilities for plastics and the future scientific and development-related challenges in this topic area. The initiative will offer not only the provided know-how but also a platform for exchanging application-related, material-related and production-related expertise on the hydrogen value chains. The kick-off meeting for the study, which will have a duration of 12 months, will take place in September 2021.
As part of the market and technology analysis, a cross-industry network will cooperate at IKV to identify new possibilities for the realisation of safe, reliable, cost-efficient and long-lasting components. The study will, among other things, analyse the state of the art, prepare detailed market insights and provide information on upcoming technologies and trends. Based on this, scenarios will be developed for the further implementation of plastic technologies in complex material systems, and an R&D roadmap will be derived for IKV’s research platform. “We will identify the scientific and development-related challenges that need to be tackled in the next few years for the best-possible integration of plastics into the hydrogen economy,” says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Hopmann, head of IKV, summarising the target of the study.
The initiative will be headed by IKV with its proven expertise in industry-related R&D, and Prof. Rudolf Stauber with many years of experience in the implementation of new material systems into large-series applications.
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Rudolf Stauber, founder and Managing Director of stauber.engineering is convinced: “The hydrogen technology will significantly change a large number of industrial processes in the coming decades. For this macroeconomic environment, plastics technology will support a systematic and comprehensive approach for technical solutions.”
Participation in the study offers the possibility to become involved in a strategic cooperation community and in the development of a technology for plastics in the hydrogen economy.
Project meetings and workshops with external experts on hydrogen systems will ensure knowledge transfer and networking between the industrial projects participants from the fields of application, materials and production. Ultimately, a platform is to be created for lasting partnerships for implementing innovative technologies, resulting in the creation of a long-term strategy community that will regularly exchange ideas and information even after the study has been concluded. For more details, contact H2@ikv.rwth-aachen.de
