Hydrogen separation using coated titanium alloys
OwnerEugene F. Hillinventor
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Abstract
This invention relates to the separation of hydrogen from other fluids by contacting said fluids with a titanium alloy comprising about 13% by weight vanadium, about 11% by weight chromium, about 3% by weight aluminum, balance titanium, stabilized in the body centered cubic crystalline form, said alloy having at least one clean surface coated with a metal oralloy based on a member of the class consisting of palladium, nickel, cobalt, iron, vanadium, niobium or tantalum, and allowing hydrogen to permeate the coated alloy at a temperature between about 100.degree. C. and about 500.degree. C.
Claims19
A process for separating hydrogen from other fluids by contacting said fluids with a titanium alloy comprising of the order of about 13% by weight vanadium, of the order of about 11% by weight chromium, or the order of about 3% by weight aluminum, balance titanium, stabilized in the body centered cubic crystalline form, said alloy having at least one clean surface coated with a metal or alloy based on a member of the class consisting of palladium, nickel, cobalt, iron, vanadium, niobium or tantalum, and allowing hydrogen to permeate the coated alloy at a temperature between about 100.degree. C. and about 500.degree. C.
A process of removing hydrogen from liquid sodium by contacting said liquid sodium with a titanium alloy comprising of the order of about 13% by weight vanadium, of the order of about 11% by weight chromium, of the order of about 3% by weight aluminum, balance titanium, stabilized in the body centered cubic crystalline form, whose impedance on the clean surface has been removed by sputtering in a high voltage glow discharge of an inert gas, and without allowing it to re-form, coating the surface exposed to sodium with 1.5 microns or less of nickel and coating the surface where the hydrogen emerges with 1.0 micron or less of palladium, and allowing hydrogen to permeate the coated alloy at a temperature between about 100.degree. C. and about 500.degree. C.
A process of separating tritium from molten lithium by contacting said molten lithium with a titanium alloy comprising of the order of about 13% by weight vanadium, of the order of about 11% by weight chromium, of the order of about 3% by weight aluminum, balance titanium, stabilized in the body centered cubic crystalline form, wherein the alloy's surfaces have been cleaned to remove surface impedances to tritium permeation, and with a thin coating of niobium or tantalum or their alloys applied to the surface exposed to lithium and a thin coating of palladium applied to the surface where the tritium emerges, and allowing tritium to permeate the coated alloy at a temperature between about 100.degree. C. and about 500.degree. C.
Apparatus for separating hydrogen from other fluids comprising:
- an element fabricated from a titanium alloy comprising of the order of about 13% by weight vanadium, of the order of about 11% by weight chromium, of the order of about 3% by weight aluminum, balance titanium, stabilized in a body centered cubic crystalline form, said element having at least one clean surface coated with a metal or alloy based on a member of the class consisting of palladium, nickel, cobalt, iron, vanadium, niobium or tantalum;
- means for heating said element to a temperature of from about 100.degree. C. to about 500.degree. C.;
- and
- means for bringing the hydrogen containing fluid into contact with said coated element to allow said hydrogen to permeate the coated alloy.
Apparatus for separating tritium from molten lithium comprising:
- an element fabricated from a titanium alloy comprising of the order of about 13% by weight vanadium, of the order of about 11% by weight chromium, of the order of about 3% by weight aluminum, balance titanium, stabilized in a body centered cubic crystalline form, wherein the surfaces of said element are cleaned to remove surface impedance to tritium permeation, and a thin coating of niobium or tantalum or their alloys applied to the surface exposed to lithium and a thin coating of palladium applied to the surface where tritium emerges, means for heating said element to a temperature of from about 100.degree. C. to about 500.degree. C.;
- and means for bringing the tritium into contact with said coated element to allow said tritium to permeate the coated alloy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.