In the fuel cell market, many companies are competing, and it is a “winner take all” environment. You need to be first to market and do it right. If not, there could be repercussions for your brand. Material selection will have a strong influence on first-time right by improving lifetime, efficiency and safety.
Fuel cell systems need to use materials that are pure. If not, ion leaching and hydrolytic and heat aging can occur. These two failure modes and the risks and consequences can hurt your brand image. Impure materials increase the risk of ion leaching, and higher water absorbing materials show more ion leaching, which you do not want. Also, impure materials increase the risk of hydrolytic and heat ageing— PA9T and PA66 are not good performers.