Continuous flowing electroless pore-plating to fabricate H2-Selective Pd-Membranes

Abstract

This study presents a novel approach to fabricating hydrogen-selective palladium membranes by continuous flowing electroless pore-plating, hereafter referred to as cf-ELP-PP. This procedure aims to significantly advance the manufacturing processes of dense membranes. In fact, the transition from traditional batch to continuous methods enhances production efficiency and membrane quality, thus being possible to reach improved hydrogen permeation capabilities. Particularly, these novel membranes exhibited a H2-permeance ranging between 3.29⋅10􀀀 4 and 4.77⋅10􀀀 4 mol m􀀀 2 s􀀀 1 Pa􀀀 0.5 with H2/N2 ideal separation factor greater than 10,000 for the entire set of experiments. This research also addresses key challenges related to the stability and efficiency of membranes, providing relevant insights for their operation during prolonged times even if unfavorable operating conditions are adopted. All these findings underscore the potential of cf-ELP-PP membranes for effective hydrogen purification in a wide variety of future industrial applications, aligning with the increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions. Moreover, the work also paves future enhancements in hydrogen production and separation processes by providing valuable insights for researchers in fields of materials science, chemical engineering, and renewable energy technologies.