LifeGuard Technologies, a company specializing in safety hose technology, with North American headquarters in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, recently completed a project for Air Liquide U.S. Industrial LP, for the replacement of all of their hydrogen (H2) filling hoses. The project included over 550, 1/2 inch. x 14 ft. convoluted high pressure metallic LifeGuard safety hoses.
Based in Houston, Texas, Air Liquide U.S. delivers innovative gas solutions and technologies to a wide range of industries, including energy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, metal fabrication, manufacturing, material handling, laboratories and research, aeronautics and space. In 2015 Air Liquide made a request to replace all of their hydrogen filling hoses with LifeGuard Safety hoses with their internal shutdown system.
Hazards associated with handling gaseous hydrogen are fire, explosion and pressure. Although hydrogen tends to dissipate quickly, its minimum ignition energy is extremely low, allowing relatively easy ignition of hydrogen mixtures in the flammable range. Hydrogen is easily ignited by open flames, electrical sparks and static electricity. It may also detonate and ignite when rapidly vented into the air. Burning with an almost invisible flame, severe burns can easily result from unknowingly walking into a hydrogen fire. A hose failure can literally be catastrophic…
By Melanie Gogan.
Article excerpt from March/April 2016 issue of Hose & Coupling World magazine.
To subscribe to the magazine, please contact Larisa Venikova, l.venikova@kci-world.com, or contact our Editor, Melanie Gogan, at m.gogan@kci-world.com.