Air Products Expands Hydrogenation Testing Capabilities in Pennsylvania

Air Products, the world’s largest supplier of hydrogen, has expanded the hydrogenation capabilities of its Chemicals and Refinery Process Lab at its Global Corporate Headquarters in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The upgrade is designed to provide customers with advanced testing and process-development support for hydrogenation applications across several industries.

The enhanced facility is intended to serve as a comprehensive testing and collaboration center where customers can evaluate hydrogenation processes, identify operating improvements and develop solutions aimed at increasing production efficiency while maintaining product quality.

“The recent enhancements at our Chemicals and Refinery Process Lab enable Air Products to be a one-stop shop and true collaborator with our customers,” said Ranajit Ghosh, Director of Advanced Technology – Merchant Research and Development at Air Products. He added that the facility enables customers to efficiently test hydrogenation processes and identify ways to maximize production while maintaining product quality.

Also known as the Hydrogen Reaction Lab, the Chemicals and Refinery Process Lab offers continuous-flow hydrogenation, catalyst evaluation and screening, process discovery, and process-improvement capabilities. Its services are targeted at customers in the refining, chemicals, pharmaceutical, and flavors and fragrances sectors.

The facility features three continuous down-flow fixed-bed reactors, along with cold-phase and hot-phase high-pressure separators. This equipment enables customers to conduct continuous hydrogenation reactions under conditions designed to replicate commercial operations. As a result, customers can assess product performance and improve their understanding of potential yield, purity and scale-up behavior before moving to commercial production.

Each reactor can be configured to accommodate a customer’s specific catalyst, allowing multiple sequential reaction steps to be tested using different catalysts, pressures and temperatures. Customers can also work with Air Products scientists to develop safe and confidential solutions tailored to their processing requirements.

Established in 2015, the laboratory relocated to Air Products’ current headquarters in 2021. The facility supports customers seeking to introduce new feedstocks, catalysts and operating parameters into hydrogenation processes.

Air Products said the laboratory is focused on helping customers optimize operating conditions to increase product yield and throughput while extending cycle lengths, reducing downtime, maintaining product specifications and lowering overall costs.

Unlike a standalone testing facility, the laboratory combines process-development capabilities with hydrogen supply, safety expertise and scale-up knowledge. This integrated approach is intended to help customers move more efficiently from laboratory testing to commercial-scale operations.

Product & Chemical Commodity Price Impact

The expansion is expected to strengthen demand for hydrogenation services, industrial hydrogen, catalysts and hydrogen-related process technologies as chemical and refinery producers seek higher yields and better process efficiency. In the near term, the move is unlikely to cause a major change in hydrogen prices because the laboratory primarily supports process development rather than directly adding substantial production capacity. However, successful commercialization of optimized hydrogenation processes could gradually increase industrial hydrogen consumption. Higher catalyst utilization and demand for specialty catalysts may provide modest price support. For Chemanalyst-tracked commodities, the impact should remain limited and indirectly bullish, particularly for hydrogen and selected catalyst-related chemicals.