Method of improving and optimizing the hydrogen permeability of a palladium-copper membrane and novel membranes manufactured thereby
AssigneeWalter Juda Associates, Inc.
InventorCharles Krueger
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Abstract
Novel heat treatment techniques for improving and optimizing the hydrogen permeability of thin palladium-copper alloy foil membranes and, in particular, Pd/40%Cu alloy membranes.
Claims4
A method of reproducibly manufacturing thin Pd/40%Cu alloy foils of controlled optimized hydrogen permeability, comprising the steps of making a Pd/40%Cu billet by freezing a melt of that composition;
- forming a thin foil by mechanically pressure-rolling the heated billet;
- and subjecting said thin foil in an inert gaseous atmosphere to a temperature of less than about 100° C. below the melting point of the alloy for a period of not less than about 10 minutes and not more than about an hour.
A method of reproducibly manufacturing thin palladium copper-alloy foil membranes of controlled optimized hydrogen permeability from palladium copper alloy billets formed by freezing a melt of the palladium copper composition, that comprises the steps of mechanically pressure rolling of the billet into said foil membrane and subjecting it in an inert gaseous atmosphere at a temperature of less than about 100° C. below the melting point of the alloy for a finite period of time sufficient to ensure substantial uniformity in the foil membrane without causing pinholes, and wherein said membrane is a Pd/40%/Cu by weight alloy foil and said finite period of time is not less than about ten minutes and not more than about one hour.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.