Process for Preparing Palladium Alloy Composite Membranes for Use in Hydrogen Separation, Palladium Alloy Composite Membranes and Products Incorporating or Made from the Membranes
AssigneeColorado School of Mines
InventorsFERNANDO ROA, J. DOUGLAS WAY, STEPHEN 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.
Claims33
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.