Metallic Supported Pd-Ag Membranes for Simultaneous Ammonia Decomposition and H₂ Separation in a Membrane Reactor: Experimental Proof of Concept

The use of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier requires efficient cracking technology. A promising solution is the use of a membrane reactor (MR), which enables both ammonia decomposition and hydrogen separation to take place within the same device, providing advantages in terms of efficiency and compactness compared to conventional systems. The literature reports that ceramic-supported double-skinned Pd-Ag membranes show outstanding performance for hydrogen separation as well as good stability of the separation layer during ammonia decomposition. However, their sealing in the reactor may result in leakage increase, while their mechanical stability remains an unresolved issue. To circumvent these limitations, the use of metallic supported Pd-based membranes is recommended, due to their higher mechanical stability and ease of sealing and integration in the reactor. In this work, we propose the development of robust metallic supported hydrogen-selective membranes for integration in membrane reactors for ammonia cracking. A conventional Pd-Ag membrane was prepared on a low-cost porous Hastelloy X tubular filter, modified with α-Al₂O₃/γ-Al₂O₃ to reach the desired surface quality. The membrane was then tested for ammonia decomposition in a MR configuration, showing the ability to reach >99% NH₃ conversion above 475 °C with H₂ feed recovery >60%. The results achieved pave the way towards a possible substitute for the ceramic-supported alternatives.