Tubular hydrogen permeable metal foil membrane and method of fabrication

A tubular hydrogen permeable metal membrane produced by a fabrication process comprising:

• a) obtaining a metal alloy foil having first and second surfaces, wherein said metal alloy contains a metal selected from a group consisting of Group IVB and VB elements;
• b) coating each of said first and second foil surfaces with a metal or metal alloy catalytic layer to produce a hydrogen permeable metal membrane, wherein said coating catalytic layer is selected from a group consisting of Pd, Pt, Pd alloy, and Pt alloy;
• c) sizing said membrane into a sheet with first and second long edges and first and second end edges;
• d) wrapping said membrane around an elongated expandable rod thereby producing a membrane wrapped rod, wherein said first and second long edges align and overlap to facilitate welding of said first long edge to said second long edge thereby producing a welded seam;
• e) placing said membrane wrapped rod into a surrounding fixture housing, wherein said aligned and overlapping first and second edges are welding accessible beneath an elongated aperture in said surrounding fixture housing;
• f) expanding said elongated expandable rod to generate an expanded rod within said surrounding fixture housing to tighten said membrane about said expanded rod;
• g) welding said overlapping first and said second long edges to one another producing said seam and generating a tubular membrane;
• and
• h) removing said tubular membrane from within said surrounding fixture housing and said expandable rod from within said tubular membrane.

A tubular hydrogen permeable metal membrane fabrication process comprising:

• a) obtaining a metal alloy foil having first and second surfaces;
• b) coating each of said first and second foil surraces with a metal or metal alloy catalytic layer to produce a hydrogen permeable metal membrane;
• c) sizing said membrane into a sheet with first and second long edges and first and second end edges;
• d) wrapping said membrane around an elongated expandable rod thereby producing a membrane wrapped rod, wherein said first and second long edges align and overlap to facilitate welding of said first long edge to said second long edge thereby producing a welded seam;
• e) placing said membrane wrapped rod into a surrounding fixture housing, wherein said aligned and overlapping first and second edges are accessible beneath an elongated aperture in said surrounding fixture housing;
• f) expanding said elongated expandable rod to generate an expanded rod within said surrounding fixture housing to tighten said membrane about said expanded rod;
• g) welding said first and said second overlapping long edges to one another producing said seam and generating a tubular membrane;
• and
• h) removing said tubular membrane from within said surrounding fixture housing and said expandable rod from within said tubular membrane.

A tubular hydrogen permeable metal membrane fabrication process comprising:

• a) obtaining a metal alloy foil having first and second surfaces, wherein said metal alloy contains a metal selected from a group consisting of Group IVB and VB elements;
• b) coating each of said first and second foil surfaces with a metal or metal alloy catalytic layer to produce a hydrogen permeable metal membrane, wherein said coating catalytic layer is selected from a group consisting of Pd, Pt, Pd alloy, and Pt alloy;
• c) sizing said membrane into a sheet with first and second long edges and first and second end edges;
• d) wrapping said membrane around an elongated expandable rod thereby producing a membrane wrapped rod, wherein said first and second long edges align and overlap to facilitate welding of said first long edge to said second long edge thereby producing a welded seam;
• e) placing said membrane wrapped rod into a surrounding fixture housing, wherein said aligned and overlapping first and second edges are welding accessible beneath an elongated aperture in said surrounding fixture housing;
• f) expanding said elongated expandable rod to generate an expanded rod within said surrounding fixture housing to tighten said membrane about said expanded rod;
• g) welding said first and said second long edges to one another producing said seam and generating a tubular membrane;
• and
• h) removing said tubular membrane from within said surrounding fixture housing and said expandable rod from within said tubular membrane.

A tubular membrane fabrication fixture comprising:

• a) an elongated expandable rod comprising:
• i) a first half having an elongated axis extending between first and second opposing ends and
• ii) a second half having an elongated axis extending between first and second opposing ends, wherein said first half and said second half result from a diagonal separation of said elongated expandable rod into said first and second halves and
• b) a surrounding fixture housing comprising:
• i) an upper section having an upper surface and a lower surface;
• ii) a recess formed in said upper surface of said upper section;
• iii) a first channel formed in said lower surface of said upper section;
• iv) an elongated aperture formed within said recess;
• v) a lower section having an upper surface and a lower surface;
• vi) a second channel formed in said upper surface of said lower section;
• and
• vii) means for securing releasably said upper and said lower sections to one another, wherein said elongated expandable rod fits with said first and second channels.