SBIR Phase I: High Flux Metal-Ceramic Hydrogen Separation Membranes

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project targets development of an innovative membrane for separation of hydrogen. The development of advanced hydrogen separation membranes based on an innovative nanostructured architecture and a unique fabrication process is proposed. The proposed approach will enable an ultra-thin Pd separation layer, which should support a 10X or greater increase in hydrogen flux over the state of the art, with no reduction in hydrogen selectivity. The membranes should also exhibit superior reliability and will be produced with low-cost, scalable processes. The expected result of the proposed work is a viable technology for the production of robust hydrogen separation membranes with advanced performance, superior reliability and lower cost. Such an enabling technology could facilitate a variety of current applications, such as hydrogen separation for fuel cells. With suitable developments for application to higher volumes, it could also serve hydrogen recovery from industrial waste streams and improve the efficiency of many energy-intensive petroleum refinement and petrochemical production processes.