Japan-Germany Joint Research Project Reports Key Findings

NOK Corporation (Headquarters: Shibadaimon, Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, Group Chief Executive Officer: Masao Tsuru; hereinafter “NOK”) held the international symposium “Sustainable Sealing Materials for Hydrogen” on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, in collaboration with the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing*1 (hereinafter “BAM”), Kyushu University, and the Freudenberg Group of Germany. The symposium was held in a hybrid format, both at BAM’s Berlin venue and online.

The symposium was attended by a total of 75 experts from industry, academia, and government in Japan and overseas, including approximately 21 participants from Japan. Presentations and discussions were held from multiple perspectives, ranging from market needs to academic evaluation, focusing on the outcomes of the international joint research project involving the four organizations: “Sustainable and Hydrogen-Compatible Sealing Materials for Safe H₂ Supply Networks*2” (abbreviated as “SusSeal4H2”). Topics included tribology technologies and next-generation sealing materials for the realization of a hydrogen society.

As one of the organizers, NOK presented on the outcomes of its development of sealing materials for hydrogen infrastructure, life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluation, and the current state of sustainability in Japan’s rubber industry.

In the discussion following the presentations, participants shared the view that investment by raw material manufacturers in environmental initiatives is concentrated on tire applications, while the development and distribution of specialty rubber materials, including sealing materials essential to hydrogen infrastructure, tend to lag. At the same time, participants concluded that because many technical challenges are common to rubber products regardless of product field, the active involvement of sealing manufacturers in initiatives such as SusSeal4H2, and the achievement of tangible results through such efforts, are highly significant for accelerating sustainability across the industry as a whole.

Based on the insights gained through this project and symposium, NOK will continue to focus on research and technology development in the field of hydrogen seals that support the realization of carbon neutrality.

Main Presentations and Outcomes on the Day

At the symposium, following an overview of the project, a wide range of topics related to next-generation sealing materials that support hydrogen infrastructure were addressed, including prospects and market needs for hydrogen infrastructure, the development of sealing materials, and evaluation of tribological properties in hydrogen environments. NOK presented the following two themes as concrete outcomes of material development to support the future hydrogen society and as proposals for improving sustainability across the industry.

1. “Development and Environmental Impact Assessment of Sustainable Sealing Materials With Hydrogen Compatibility” Presenter: Ayako Aoyagi, Tribology Research Section, Engineering Research Dept., NOK Group R&D
To achieve both durability that can withstand harsh hydrogen environments and low environmental impact, NOK created a property map covering the characteristics of various rubber and resin materials. By utilizing this property map, NOK established technology for efficiently designing materials and manufacturing processes optimized for seals used in hydrogen infrastructure. Through life cycle assessment (LCA), NOK identified the main factors contributing to CO2 emissions in the manufacturing process. This enabled concrete approaches to reducing CO2 from the material manufacturing stage and led to the presentation of technological outcomes that will help reduce environmental impact across the entire hydrogen supply chain.

2. “Current Status and Future Outlook of Sustainability Initiatives in Japan’s Rubber Industry” Presenter: Takenari Aoki, Tribology Research Section, Engineering Research Dept., NOK Group R&D
Based on survey data from Japan, NOK pointed out that while cutting-edge initiatives such as recycling and biomass utilization are progressing in the tire segment of the automotive industry, technical and legal challenges remain in establishing recycling systems for non-tire products such as seals. In response to this issue, NOK presented concrete examples of material technologies that enable longer service life and recycling of sealing materials, indicating a pathway toward reducing environmental impact in the specialty rubber field. NOK also proposed the importance of international industry-academia-government collaboration as a means of overcoming these barriers and improving sustainability in the rubber industry.

Background and Purpose of the Symposium

As efforts advance toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, hydrogen is expected to play a key role as a next-generation energy source. Across all four stages of the hydrogen supply network, namely production, storage, transportation, and use, advanced sealing technologies capable of withstanding cryogenic and high-pressure environments are required. The symposium was held to widely share research outcomes related to next-generation sustainable sealing materials and to deepen global discussion.

1 German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM): A federal research institute under Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, dedicated to improving safety and reliability in materials science and chemical technology.

2 SusSeal4H2: A project supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency’s (JST) Strategic International Collaborative Research Program (SICORP, grant code: JPMJSC2121) and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR, project number: 01DR23001), through which industry, academia, and government in Japan and Germany collaborated to advance the development of next-generation sealing technologies supporting hydrogen infrastructure.