Preparation of palladium-silver alloy membranes for hydrogen permeation

Pd-Ag alloy membranes (with different silver contents) have been prepared by electroless plating technique for hydrogen separation. The surface morphology and phase structures of the composite membranes were investigated using a scanning electron microscope and a X-ray diffractometer, respectively. Hydrogen permeation experiments through the membranes synthesized at different hydrogen pressures (50 - 250 kPa) and temperatures (623 - 823 K) are reported. The experimental results reveal that the membranes showed a considerable enhancement in the hydrogen permeation and that the contribution of surface process for permeation was significant at high temperatures.