Fabrication of hydrogen-permeable composite membranes packed with palladium nanoparticles

The fabrication of a palladium-based membrane, in which palladium nanoparticles were packed into the interstices of an intermediate support layer via vacuum-assisted electroless plating, was presented. The gas permeability and H₂/N₂ selectivity of these membranes have been determined by experiments conducted using a single gas source. The palladium membrane can tolerate conditions below the critical temperature, where fatal damage usually occurs for conventional film membranes. A hydrogen-permeation profile for the palladium membrane at temperatures ranging from 50 to 300°C as a function of the pressure difference across the membrane was shown. The palladium-based membranes lead to more flexible industrial applications.