Advanced Manufacturing: Polymer & Composites Science

Advances in Composite-based Manufacturing Technologies for Hydrogen Storage

Composite materials offer high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent resistance to corrosion and fatigue, as well as great thermal performance. Thus, composites are ideally suited for use in hydrogen storage technologies. Composite hydrogen vessels must withstand extreme pressures or cryogenic temperatures while ensuring long service life even under repeated pressure cycles and harsh environmental exposure. Composites meet these requirements by allowing designers to tailor layer orientations, fiber types, and matrix formulations to balance mechanical requirements, barrier performance, and thermal behavior in hydrogen environments. Impact and thermal cycling resistance further enhance safety during transport and operation. The possibility to integrate sensors or heating elements directly into composite layups supports advanced monitoring and thermal management. Novel composite-based manufacturing technologies for hydrogen storage are essential for advancing hydrogen economy. They provide vessels for several applications ranging from fuel cell vehicles to stationary storage systems.

Governmental decarbonization efforts, infrastructure roll-outs and stricter emissions regulations increase interest in hydrogen storage technologies. According to recent analyses, the composite hydrogen vessel market rapidly expands with annual growth rates between 10 and 30 percent by 2032. These trends underline the urgency to scale up composite manufacturing capacity, increasing production speed and lowering costs, while improving energy efficiency to support sustainability. Process digitization via inline sensors, digital twins and advanced process control enhances product quality and ensures consistency, early defect detection, and certification. Integrating end-of-life strategies - including recycling or repurposing fibers and matrices, safe dismantling, and life-cycle assessment frameworks - supports circular economy principles from the start. Enabling the use of new or alternative materials, like bio-based resins, recycled carbon fibers or natural-fiber hybrids, is key to reducing reliance on virgin polymers without sacrificing safety or performance. New storage technologies, including linerless Type-V pressure vessels, support meeting the increasing requirements.

This Article Collection invites contributions exploring new processing strategies, ensuring processability of new materials, improving product quality and enhancing overall process efficiency. Emphasis will be on sustainable, energy- and resource-efficient processing, digital quality assurance, accelerated production techniques, end-of-life management, and adaptive technologies. Topics of particular interest include:

• High-throughput composite-based manufacturing approaches for vessels as well as modular units.
• Manufacturing approaches for Type V vessels: permeation barriers, thin-ply, soluble mandrels
• Energy-efficient processes: optimized impregnation, consolidation, heat management and curing.
• Digitization: inline monitoring and control, digital twins, predictive maintenance.
• Process modeling and simulation for performance prediction and parameter optimization.
• End-of-life strategies: recycling, repurposing, dismantling, and life-cycle assessment.
• Processes, that enable integration of alternative materials, such as bio-based resins, vitrimers, recycled fibers, and natural-fiber hybrids.

Studies correlating manufacturing parameters with application-related properties such as crack resistance, permeability, mechanical performance.

­­All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 11 May 2026.

Please contact Agnes Zhou at Agnes.Zhou@taylorandfrancis.com with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

For Taylor and Francis Journals: Please be sure to select the appropriate Article Collection from the drop-down menu in the submission system.