Several governments, operators, and suppliers are betting on hydrogen as a major tool to meet greenhouse gas goals. Regarding stainless steel, they are classified in one of two markets: discrete or process. The discrete market includes small flow control products used with fuel cells in mostly mobile applications. Process includes the production and transport of hydrogen.
The discrete classification is defined as a flow control product associated with a piece of equipment. These are small with a required flow as small as 1 lpm. Many automotive companies are moving forward with hydrogen fueled vehicles.
Process is the classification of stainless steel flow control products used in the production and transport of hydrogen. This can also include their use in processes such as: steam generation, compression, creation of chemical products, or heat generation using combustion with hydrogen as the primary or secondary fuel.