Membrane Materials with Improved Properties

Currently the commercially available technologies for H2 separation such as pressure swing adsorption and cryogenic distillation are very energy intensive. Membrane technologies can be very energy efficient; but for high selective membranes low flux and high cost are the major challenges that frustrate commercialization. Recently, cermet has shown promise because of less precious metal usage and mixed conductivity. However, pin holes from the paste-painting method and relatively thick membranes are the major limitations. Thus, technologies that can make thin dense and pinhole free H2 transport membrane (HTM) for high flux and low cost will be the way for HTM industry. Physical vapor deposition (PVD) is one of the technologies that can make thin and dense coatings. Large area filtered cathodic arc deposition (FCAD) is one of the PVD approaches that can make cermet at high rate deposition. FCAD has been commercialized in making nano-engineered multiple phase coatings at UES for large scale production and low cost. By using two metal targets and reactive deposition, multiple phase thin dense and pinhole free cermet for HTM can be accomplished in our current system. Commercial Applications and other Benefits: The research proposed in Phase I, if carried out, will provide a new approach for fabrication of HTM. By using FCAD and mixed phase cermet, thin dense and pinhole free HTM for high flux and low cost can be expected. The proposed approach may meet the DOE 2015 targets in terms of hydrogen flux and materials cost. The breakthrough in the proposed approach will be beneficial to hydrogen separation industry for green energy and environment protection. Because of our partnership with Argonne National Laboratory, a leading developer of cermet technology, we anticipate success in the Phase I and Phase II research and scale up in Phase III.