About Felix Schmidt
Felix Schmidt is an expert in Heat Treatment at the Schunk Group. With many years of experience, he develops innovative solutions for high-temperature applications and plays a key role in advancing Schunk’s technology and materials expertise. His work focuses on optimizing processes to increase efficiency and quality in heat treatment.
Felix Schmidt: Methane pyrolysis is a thermal process for hydrogen production in which methane (CH₄) is broken down into its components: hydrogen (H₂) and solid carbon (C). Unlike steam reforming or electrolysis, no CO₂ is released during the process—provided the required energy comes from renewable sources. This makes the hydrogen produced "turquoise hydrogen."
This process is particularly interesting for industries that want to leverage existing natural gas infrastructure while transitioning to CO₂-neutral production. In addition, the solid carbon produced—often used as carbon black—can serve as a valuable industrial material.
Felix Schmidt: The main technical challenge is the extreme thermal stress: reactor temperatures exceed 1,000 °C—sometimes significantly higher. This means traditional metal alloys quickly reach their performance limits. In addition, aggressive process gases and high wear levels place further strain on components. This results in tough requirements for the materials used—not just in terms of temperature and corrosion resistance, but also in lifespan, shape stability, and maintenance intervals.
On top of that, many processes are still in the development or pilot phase, which requires high flexibility in component design, engineering, and system integration.
Felix Schmidt: We don't just supply components—we deliver complete solutions. Our customers benefit from a unique combination of:
Our products are engineered to meet the extreme demands of methane pyrolysis and are precisely adapted to existing or new reactor designs. We see ourselves as partners in development—not just component vendors.
Felix Schmidt: Our components help significantly reduce total cost of ownership (TCO). This begins with extended service life, which lowers both maintenance expenses and unplanned downtime. Our materials also ensure high process reliability—for example, by maintaining structural integrity during rapid temperature changes and delivering consistent performance over many cycles.
One example: For a customer, we tripled the service life of critical reactor parts by introducing coated graphite components. The result? Lower maintenance costs and greater production uptime—an undeniable economic advantage.
Felix Schmidt: Typical applications include:
All parts can be customized to the customer’s reactor design and process conditions—including small batches and pilot-scale projects.
Felix Schmidt: Very positive. Customers particularly value that we don’t just sell components—we co-develop solutions. They appreciate our combination of material expertise, engineering flexibility, and close technical collaboration. Many projects emerge from direct interaction between our development teams and theirs—which fosters trust and leads to robust, practical results.
Felix Schmidt: I’m excited to be working on a technology that has true future potential. Turquoise hydrogen could play a key role in decarbonizing industrial processes—if the systems are efficient, safe, and economically viable. Knowing that our materials are a critical part of that transformation motivates me every day.
Felix Schmidt: Methane pyrolysis is more than a research topic—it’s a viable path toward industrial CO₂ neutrality. But only with the right high-temperature components can the process become economically sustainable. With a deep portfolio of materials, process knowledge, and engineering capabilities, Schunk provides customized solutions for the next generation of hydrogen and black carbon production.
Parasitic shaft currents are among the most common causes of bearing damage in electric drive systems. Inadequate grounding can lead to costly failures – in rail transport, industrial production facilities, and electric mobility alike. The Schunk Group addresses this challenge with a comprehensive portfolio of grounding systems, ranging from traditional grounding contacts to innovative carbon-based solutions.
The Schunk Group is your innovative partner when it comes to metal injection molding (MIM) at the highest technological level. With over 100 years of material expertise and state-of-the-art MIM technology, we manufacture complex, precise, and series-ready metal components – tailored exactly to the requirements of your industry.