Palladium-Copper and Palladium-Gold Alloy Composite Membranes for Hydrogen Separations

Electroless plating was used to fabricate PdCu and PdAu alloy composite membranes using tubular Al2O3 and stainless steel microfilters to produce high temperature H2 separation membranes. The composite membranes were annealed and tested at temperatures ranging from 350 to 400°C, at high feed pressures (≤250 psig) using pure gases and gas mixtures containing H2, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), H2O and H2S, to determine the effects these parameters had on the H2 permeation rate, selectivity and recovery.