Process for Preparing Palladium Alloy Composite Membranes for Use in Hydrogen Separation, Palladium Alloy Composite Membranes and Products Incorporating or Made from the Membranes
OwnerFernando Roa, J. Douglas Way +1inventors
InventorsFernando Roa, J. Douglas Way, Stephen N. Paglieri
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Abstract
The invention is directed to a method for producing Palladium alloy composite membranes that are useful in applications that involve the need to separate hydrogen from a gas mixture. Further, in one embodiment, a Pd alloy composite membrane is realized in which the Pd alloy film is 1 μm or less in thickness and resistant to poisoning by sulfide compounds. Further, the Pd alloy composite membranes are applied to a number of applications, such a fuel reforming.
Claims39
A method for making a palladium alloy composite membrane comprising:
- providing a porous substrate with a support surface for supporting a palladium alloy film, wherein said porous substrate has a pore size adjacent to said support surface of less than about 200 nm;
- seeding said support surface with palladium crystallites to produce an activated surface;
- first plating, over said activated surface, a palladium film;
- second plating, over said palladium film, an alloying material other than silver;
- and
- annealing said porous substrate, palladium film, and alloying material so that there is intermetallic diffusion of said alloying material into said palladium film to produce a palladium alloy film over said porous substrate.
A method for making a palladium alloy composite membrane comprising:
- providing a porous substrate with a support surface for supporting a palladium alloy film, wherein said porous substrate has a pore size adjacent to said support surface;
- seeding said support surface with palladium crystallites to produce an activated surface;
- first plating, over said activated surface, a palladium film;
- second plating, over said palladium film, an alloying material other than silver;
- and
- annealing said porous substrate, palladium film, and alloying material so that there is intermetallic diffusion of said alloying material and said palladium film to produce a palladium alloy film over said porous substrate;
- wherein said pore size is determinative of a minimum thickness for said palladium alloy film that is substantially free of leaks;
- wherein said steps of first plating, second plating and annealing are performed so as to produce a palladium alloy film with a film thickness that is equal or greater than said minimum thickness.
A method for making a palladium alloy composite membrane comprising:
- providing a porous substrate with a support surface for supporting a palladium alloy film;
- seeding said support surface with palladium crystallites to produce an activated surface;
- first plating, over said activated surface, a palladium film;
- second plating, over said palladium film, an alloying material;
- annealing said porous substrate, palladium film, and alloying material so that there is intermetallic diffusion of said alloying material and said palladium film to produce a palladium alloy film over said porous substrate;
- and
- subjecting, after said step of annealing, said porous substrate and said palladium alloy film to an oxidation and reduction.
A palladium alloy composite membrane comprising:
- a porous substrate having a support surface;
- and
- a palladium alloy film, other than a palladium-silver alloy film, bonded to said support surface of said porous substrate;
- wherein said palladium alloy film has a thickness of less than about 10 microns.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.