Degradation mechanism of an H2-permselective amorphous silica membrane

Degradation mechanism of H2 permselectivity under atmosphere of steam/N2 = 3 at 773 K was investigated among amorphous silica membranes on γ-Al2O3-coated α-Al2O3 or Ni-doped γ-Al2O3-coated α-Al2O3 synthesized by counter diffusion chemical vapor deposition. Helium and H2 permeance drastically decreased during the first few hours of hydrothermal exposure. On the other hand, N2 permeance fluctuated during hydrothermal treatment in silica membrane on γ-Al2O3-coated α-Al2O3. The degree of N2 permeance change depended on the hydrothermal stability of the intermediate layer. Hydrogen permselectivity was affected by both the densification of amorphous silica and the sintering of the intermediate layer during hydrothermal exposure.