Preparation and characterization of metallic supported thin Pd-Ag membranes for hydrogen separation

This paper reports the preparation and characterization of thin-film (4-5 μm thick) Pd-Ag metallic supported membranes for high temperature applications. Various thin film membranes have been prepared by depositing a ceramic interdiffusion barrier layer prior to the simultaneous Pd-Ag electroless plating deposition. Two deposition techniques for ceramic layers (made of zirconia and alumina) have been evaluated: Atmospheric Plasma Spraying and dip coating of a powder suspension. Initially, the prepared ceramic layers have been characterized for nitrogen permeation at room temperature and surface roughness for the selection of the appropriate type of ceramic layer. The most promising membranes have been tested at 400-600 °C for single gas permeation (H2 and N2), and have shown extremely high H2/N2 permselectivities (>200,000).