Performance and application of thin Pd-alloy hydrogen separation membranes in different configurations

In the present article, constrains in performance, operating conditions and applicability of various Pd membrane configurations are discussed. The results demonstrate the high flexibility and versatility of the thin Pd-based membranes prepared by the two-stage fabrication method developed by SINTEF. The opportunity to apply the same membrane in different configurations enables assessment and investigation ranging from the basic membrane properties, effects of membrane design and composition, to identification of optimum working conditions in different applications. A noticeable result coming out of this study is the strong effect of concentration polarisation, and the possibility to limit this effect using the microchannel configuration.