High Surface Area-to-Volume Ultrathin Dense Membrane for Hydrogen Separation

Providing a reliable, clean and economical energy source is a priority of the US government. The challenge is to use coal, a secured and economical energy source, to produce clean hydrogen fuel to support domestic and global green economy with near-zero emission. Conventional separation technology and even developmental technology do not satisfy all of the requirements for hydrogen production from coal, especially for high temperature and in the presence of contaminants. This proposal is to develop a novel high surface area ultrathin dense silica membrane for the production of high-purity hydrogen at elevated temperatures. The proposed membrane is designed to have high flux, high selectivity, high resistance to contaminants, be able to handle high pressure and temperature, is durable and at the same time economical. The success of this membrane will be a springboard for the development of a combined syngas purification, water-gas-shift and hydrogen separation to support DOEs hydrogen project mission. Its success ensures reduction in foreign crude oil dependency, alleviates environmental concerns, secures primary energy resource, provides competitive advantage for the energy-related industries, and chain-benefits to many other fields, such as chemical, refinery, transportation and consumer products.