Ionic liquid piston compressor

[1] An ionic liquid compressor takes advantage of two properties of ionic liquids—their virtually non-measurable vapor pressures and large temperature window for the liquid phase—in combination with the low solubility of some gases (e.g. hydrogen) in them.

This insolubility is exploited by using the body of an ionic liquid to compress hydrogen up to 1000 bar (14,500 psi)[2] in hydrogen filling stations.

[3] Many seals and bearings were removed in the design as the ionic liquid does not mix with the gas.

Service life is about 10 times longer than a regular reciprocating compressor with reduced maintenance during use, energy costs are reduced by as much as 20%.

After the renewed interest in ionic liquids, research was done by proionic, an enterprise in the spin-off center "ZAT Center for applied Technology" of the University of Leoben.