Journal of Membrane Science, Vol.465, 167-176, 2014
PdAu and PdAuAg composite membranes for hydrogen separation from synthetic water-gas shift streams containing hydrogen sulfide
Bed:Euless deposition was used to fabricate Pd-23Au and Pd-20Au-13Ag (wt%) membranes on Pall AccuSep (R) ZROD supports. The weight gain compositions of each film were corroborated with XRF analysis, EDS and XRD after testing. The membranes were annealed in a H-2 atmosphere at temperatures of 773 K and higher. The Pd-20Au-13Ag alloy membrane had higher single-gas H-2 permeability than a pure Pd membrane on a comparable support. In a mixture of 20 ppm H2S in H-2 at 689.5 kPa feed pressure, the H-2 permeance of the Pd-20Au-13Ag alloy membrane was less inhibited at 773 K than 723 or 673 K. Both membranes were tested in a sour WGS mixture containing 20 ppm H2S. The Pd-23Au membrane had a 29% H-2 flux inhibition at 773 K and 1.1 MPa feed pressure, which is one of the best reported for a composite PdAu alloy membrane in a feed gas containing H2S. Although the H-2 permeance of the Pd-20Au-13Ag alloy membrane was reduced more than the Pd-23Au membrane, it had a higher absolute H-2 permeance in the sour WGS mixture. Once the H2S was removed from the WGS feed gas, the H-2 permeance recovered at least 97% of its original value before H2S exposure to both membranes at 673 and 773 K. After H2S testing, sulfides were not detected using XRD. (C) 2014 Elsevier By. All rights reserved.
Keywords:Pd-based binary and ternary alloys;PdAu membrane;PdAuAg membrane;Hydrogen separation;Mixed-gas with H2S;Water-gas shift