Electroless Pd membrane deposition on alumina modified porous Hastelloy substrate with EDTA-free bath

This study demonstrates palladium membranes can be electrolessly plated on aluminum oxide-modified porous Hastelloy with hydrazine using an EDTA-free bath. The plating bath temperature affected the membrane surface morphology, with the palladium grain size increasing with increasing temperature. A 7.5 μm thick membrane plating was obtained at room temperature. Helium leak testing confirmed that the membrane was free of defects. Hydrogen permeation test showed that the membrane had a hydrogen permeation flux of 3.3 × 10−1 mol m−2 s−1 at a temperature of 823 K and at a pressure difference of 100 kPa. There was no measurable interdiffusion between the membrane film and the porous Hastalloy substrate at 823 K. This room temperature membrane plating method provides several advantages such as very high selectivity, stability, favorable energy efficiency and simplicity.