Evaluation and characterization of Pd-Ag composite membrane fabricated by surfactant induced electroless plating (SIEP) for hydrogen separation

ABSTRACT

Dense Pd-Ag/MPSS composite membranes were fabricated on macroporous stainless steel substrate (MPSS) by novel surfactant induced electroless plating (SIEP) process. SIEP was effective in synthesizing dense and thinner Pd-Ag films on MPSS with shorter deposition time in presence of cationic DTAB. SIEP membranes showed 3–8 times higher H₂ permeance compared to that of conventional EP membranes. The SEM, XRD, and EDS studies confirmed the formation of Pd-Ag alloy and no diffusion of MPSS substrate metal components into the Pd-Ag film. The Pd-Ag membrane (15 μm thickness) was tested for long-term stability under thermal cycling (623–723-623 K) up to 42 days.

KEYWORDS:

• Pd-Ag membrane
• thermal stability
• H₂ separation
• H₂/N₂ selectivity
• SIEP

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy – National Energy Technology Laboratory (Award No. DE-FG08-NT000143). Analytical support from the Center for Advanced Materials and Smart Structures (CAMSS) of North Carolina A&T State University gratefully acknowledged. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support received from the National Science Foundation (NSF) (Grant No: HRD-124215) to reanalyze the previous data and write this manuscript.

Supplementary material

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Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) [HRD-124215];Office of Fossil Energy [DE-FG08-NT000143].