Investigation of Low-Temperature Hydrogen Permeability of Surface Modified Pd–Cu Membranes

Pd60%Cu40% alloy membranes are modified with nanostructured coatings to intensify the low-temperature (25–100°С) transport of hydrogen. Classical palladium black and filamentous particles are deposited as surface modifiers by electrodeposition. The experimental data confirm that the deposition of the modifying layer on both surfaces of the Pd60%Cu40% alloy membranes can considerably reduce surface limitations for the process of hydrogen transfer. In the low-temperature hydrogen transport processes, the developed membranes demonstrate high and stable fluxes up to 0.36 mmol s–1 m–2 and high hydrogen permeability up to 1.33 × 10–9 mol s–1 m–2 Pa–0.5. For the Pd60%Cu40% alloy membranes modified with nanofilaments hydrogen permeability is up to 1.3 times higher compared with the membranes modified with classical black and up to 3.9 times compared with the uncoated membranes. The Pd60%Cu40% alloy membranes also exhibit a high level of H2/N2 selectivity, up to 3552. The strategy of surface modification of palladium-based membranes can shed new light on the development and manufacture of high-performance and selective membranes for ultrapure hydrogen production units.