REB Research & Consulting

What REB Research & Consulting does

REB Research & Consulting, founded in 1988 by Dr. Robert E. Buxbaum and based in Oak Park, Michigan, is a privately held, founder-owned specialty engineering firm that designs and manufactures hydrogen purifiers, hydrogen generators, membrane reactors, catalysts, and hydrogen sorbers. Its core technology is a proprietary palladium-based metallic membrane platform that achieves certified hydrogen purity of nine-nines-plus (99.9999999%+) across a flow range of 0.5–120 slpm, supported by in-house helium leak detection down to 0.5×10⁻⁹ cc/s and a portfolio of 9 granted US patents spanning membranes, reactors, generators, getters, and high-temperature gas purification.

The company sells standardized, unit-priced products through a direct-sales website catalog — Mr. Hydrogen™ all-in-one systems, H2 purifier cells, methanol-water reformers (including the Me100-2), high- and low-pressure metallic membranes, test apparatus, temperature controllers, furnaces, specialty catalysts, and nanoparticle inks — with list prices ranging from roughly $3,000 to $164,750. It complements equipment sales with expert engineering consulting billed at $375 per hour and offers ancillary helium leak-check services. Customers are reached via website, email, and phone, with no channel partners.

REB serves research laboratories, the fuel cell industry, and industrial manufacturers (including nuclear steam systems and semiconductor/electronic packaging), operating entirely within the USA. The firm is bootstrapped with 1–10 employees, no external funding, and no M&A history, making it a niche micro-enterprise whose scale, economics, and continuity are tightly coupled to its founder.

Name

REB Research & Consulting

Legal name

REB Research & Consulting

Website

https://rebresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

REB Research & Consulting is a privately held, founder-owned Michigan firm that designs and manufactures palladium-membrane hydrogen purifiers, generators, and membrane reactors, serving research labs, fuel cell developers, and industrial manufacturers via direct sales and engineering consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hydrogen Purification Equipment

NAICS

Pump and Compressor Manufacturing (33391), Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413), Industrial Gas Manufacturing (325120)

SIC

Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment (3533), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)

akta.pro primary industry

Hydrogen (Industrial & Mobility) (IMAEACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hydrogen Storage Materials & Solid-State Storage (Metal Hydrides, Adsorbents) (EUAFAEAG)

Keywords

• Hydrogen purification systems
• Palladium membrane technology
• Hydrogen generation equipment
• Catalytic membrane reactors
• Hydrogen engineering consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Oak Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hydrogen Purification Equipment Sales: Sale of hydrogen purifiers, purifier cells, and complete purification systems (Mr. Hydrogen brand). Products range from $3,000 to $164,750 depending on flow rate and specifications.
2. Hydrogen Generators and Reformers: Sale of methanol-water reformers and hydrogen generators producing hydrogen at various flow rates and purity levels.
3. Catalysts and Consumables: Sale of catalysts for water gas shift, hydrocarbon reforming, and hydrogen removal applications. Includes precious metal-based catalysts (palladium, platinum) and specialty formulations.
4. Expert Consultation Services: Technical consulting services provided at $375/hr rate for hydrogen engineering solutions and custom project guidance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

REB Research & Consulting designs, manufactures, and sells hydrogen purifiers, hydrogen generators, membrane reactors, specialty catalysts, and hydrogen sorbers based on proprietary palladium metallic membrane technology. The company also offers hourly hydrogen engineering consulting and in-house helium leak detection quality-control services for its delivered hydrogen systems, achieving certified hydrogen purity of 99.9999999%+.

Product overview

REB Research & Consulting offers a portfolio of hydrogen engineering products centered on palladium membrane purification technology. The core offerings include the Mr. Hydrogen (TM) all-in-one purification system and modular H2 Purifier Cells ranging from 0.5 to 120 slpm capacity, which work with the company's temperature controllers and high-pressure membrane test apparatus. Supporting the purifier line are methanol-water reformers (Me100-2) and membrane reactors for hydrogen generation. The product line extends to specialty catalysts across low, middle, and high temperature ranges (copper zinc, copper zinc chromia ceria platinum, and iron-based formulations), hydrogen sorbers (Pd-organic, Pt-CeO, and Pd-coated niobium), nanoparticle inks (palladium and copper), and specialty membranes for nuclear reactor applications. The company also provides expert engineering consultation services and in-house helium leak detection for quality control of delivered hydrogen purity (certified to 99.9999999+ purity levels).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mr. Hydrogen (TM): Complete hydrogen purification system product line that purifies tank or electrolysis hydrogen to 99.99999995% purity.
• Me100-2

Products and services

• Mr. Hydrogen (TM) Complete Purification System All-in-one hydrogen purification system that purifies tank or electrolysis hydrogen (~99.5% pure H2) up to 99.99999995% purity. Combines a heater/controller box with a purifier cell, with safety shutoff option. Pricing from $3,500 (control only) to $7,900 for complete systems.
• H2 Purifier Cells Palladium-based membrane purifier modules in flow capacities from 0.5 slpm to 120 slpm. Band-heated small-output cells (0.5 to 6 slpm) and larger coiled/cartridge-heated cells (10 to 120 slpm) with internal heat exchange.
• High Pressure Metallic Membrane High-pressure metallic membrane used to extract hydrogen from steam systems of nuclear reactors. Operates from room temperature to 500C and at pressures up to 1500 psi; extracts approximately 5 cc/hr during normal operation.
• Low Pressure Metallic Membrane Low-temperature metallic membrane for extracting hydrogen from other gases at room temperature, e.g., to remove hydrogen from the water output of fuel cells. Sold as a trombone-bend coil 14.25" x 3/4" containing 57" of membrane.
• Me100-2 Constant Pressure Hydrogen Generator Methanol-water reformer that outputs up to 99.99999% pure hydrogen via palladium membrane purification, with adjustable pressure hydrogen output to 90 psi. Dimensions 17" x 17" x 12", 15 lbs, less than 1 kW power draw.
• Methanol Water Reformer Produces up to 50 slpm of methanol-water reformate (~65% H2) for use in high-temperature fuel cells, hydrogen generators, and membrane test equipment. 240V operation, 16" x 17.5" x 21", 30 lbs.
• Membrane Reactors Catalytic membrane reactors for hydrogen separation and generation, including non-oxidative methane aromatization and CO2 reforming of methane applications.
• Catalysts (Low, Middle, High Temperature, Iron Oxide, Nickel) Specialty catalyst line including copper zinc alumina (200-300C), copper zinc chromia ceria platinum alumina (250-450C), iron/copper chromia ceria platinum (400-600C), iron oxide (400-700C), and nickel (750C+) catalysts for water gas shift, hydrocarbon reforming, Fischer Tropsch synthesis, ammonia cracking, and trace CO removal.
• Hydrogen Removal Sorbers (Pd-Organic, Pt-CeO, Pd-coated Niobium Screws) Hydrogen sorbers for irreversible or reversible hydrogen removal: Pd-organic (DEB/buckminsterfullerene) for 0-50C applications, Pt-CeO for 0-400C, and Pd-coated niobium screws (4/40) for 25-250C reversible extraction from inert gases. Used in electronic packages, consumer products, nuclear transport, nuclear waste shipping containers, and submarines.
• Nanoparticle Palladium and Copper Inks Nanoparticle palladium and copper inks, 1% Pd, 10-50 nm diameter particles, priced at $1850 per 5 mL.
• High Pressure Membrane Test Apparatus 21" tall by 1.5" diameter apparatus for testing metallic membranes at pressures up to 600 psi and temperatures up to 650C; fits in a high-temperature furnace.
• Temperature Controllers Pre-programmed, stable temperature controllers for purifiers, reactors, or furnaces up to 1,200C. Available in 120V, 220V, or 240VAC with US or European plugs.
• Furnaces and Thermocouples High-temperature furnaces (including a 900C model) for membrane testing and other laboratory applications, along with thermocouples for temperature measurement.
• Expert Consultation Professional hydrogen engineering consultation services provided at $375/hr for custom project guidance, hydrogen engineering solutions, and technical problem-solving.
• Helium Leak Detection Service In-house helium leak detection service using a Varian 938 leak detector with sensitivity to 0.5x10^-9 cc/s, used for quality control of hydrogen purifiers and membrane products. The company is exploring offering this as a freelance service to local customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hydrogen purity up to 99.9999999%+ (nine-nines)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Linde plc: Linde is one of the largest industrial gas companies globally, supplying merchant hydrogen and on-site hydrogen generation/purification systems. It competes with REB for high-purity hydrogen applications, particularly in electronics, specialty chemicals, and lab markets.
• Air Liquide: Air Liquide is a global industrial gas major offering hydrogen production, purification, and distribution at scale. It competes broadly with REB for industrial hydrogen customers, often bundling gas supply with purification equipment as a turnkey solution.
• Chart Industries: Chart Industries designs cryogenic and process gas equipment including hydrogen liquefaction, storage, and purification systems for industrial and energy applications. While broader in scope, it overlaps with REB on hydrogen processing equipment for specialty industrial customers.

Direct peers

• Mahler AGS: Mahler AGS supplies industrial gas purification and hydrogen generation equipment for specialty applications, including fuel cells and laboratories. It targets a similar high-purity hydrogen niche as REB with comparable flow-rate and purity positioning.
• Nel ASA: Nel ASA is a global hydrogen generation and purification equipment manufacturer (alkaline/PEM electrolyzers, H2 stations) serving fuel-cell, industrial, and mobility markets. While larger and broader, Nel competes for the same hydrogen generator/purifier budget dollars in fuel-cell and industrial customer accounts.
• Mott Corporation: Mott manufactures porous metal membranes and filtration products used in gas purification, including hydrogen separation. As a specialist in metallic porous media, it serves overlapping industrial customers and competes with REB's membrane-based separation technology.
• Element 1 Corp: Element 1 Corp designs and manufactures methanol-to-hydrogen generators and purification systems targeting fuel-cell backup power and lab hydrogen supply, overlapping directly with REB's Me100-2 and methanol-water reformer products in both technology and customer use cases.
• Hy9 Corporation: Hy9 is a direct competitor using palladium-based metallic membrane technology to produce ultra-high-purity hydrogen generators and purifiers for similar fuel-cell, laboratory, and industrial customers. Its product architecture and target specifications overlap closely with REB's Mr. Hydrogen and H2 Purifier Cell lines.

Emerging players

• H2scan: H2scan manufactures hydrogen-specific sensors and analyzers for process monitoring, safety, and leak detection. It is an emerging player in the hydrogen measurement and purity verification space that REB's in-house helium leak detection capability could also address.

Regional players

• Iwatani Corporation: Iwatani is a major Japan-based industrial gas and hydrogen supplier with hydrogen refueling and purification equipment operations primarily in Asia. It is a regional player compared with REB's US focus but competes for the same fuel-cell and hydrogen mobility end customers globally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hydrogenpurifier

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about REB Research & Consulting