Selective-Membrane Platforms (October 1998)

High-Temperature Hydrogen Selective Membrane Platforms

Sponsor: Praxair, Inc.

• Project Performance Period: 2/1/1999 - 1/31/2004
• Total project (est.): $3,065,600.00
• Requested ATP funds: $1,514,900.00

Hydrogen is a key feedstock in the chemical, electronics, petrochemical, and refining industries and also can be used as a clean fuel. Efficiency improvements in the generation or purification of hydrogen could save millions of dollars annually while reducing environmental pollution. In particular, if an improved hydrogen-separation membrane process can be run at high temperatures, then it can be combined efficiently with a conversion process to produce hydrogen from a low-cost feedstock. Conventional hydrogen separation membranes are based on polymers and cannot operate at high temperatures. Praxair, Inc., and its subsidiary Innovative Membrane Systems, Inc. (Norwood, Mass.), will work on new hydrogen generation technology with Walter Juda Associates (Needham, Mass.), which has developed a hydrogen-generation system that employs a palladium-based membrane at high temperatures. To expand the scope, lower the cost, and improve the efficiency of this promising technology, high-temperature metal-polymer membranes will be developed. The proposed membranes will consist of an ultrathin layer of metal alloy integrated with a polymeric support. It will be packaged into a module containing either bundles of hollow fibers or flat-sheet membranes. The technical challenges are to produce a device with an extremely thin defect-free membrane capable of stable operation at high temperatures. Tufts University (Medford, Mass.) will perform the modeling required to design a reactor that effectively reforms low-cost feedstocks and optimizes the flow of gases in the membrane reactor. ATP provided the incentive for this joint venture to come together. If successfully developed, the new technology will provide a new route to low-cost hydrogen production. The ATP project will greatly accelerate progress in developing this innovative membrane platform, bringing together a small company with an innovative concept, academic modeling expertise, a membrane manufacturer, and a designer of hydrogen production systems. If ultimately commercialized, the technology could reduce the cost of producing hydrogen for the chemical and electronics industries by 20 percent to 30 percent, increase by 25 percent the value of certain fuels used in refining by enabling more efficient recovery of hydrogen, and accelerate the development of hydrogen-fueled automobiles with zero emissions. In addition, the research could promote progress in other high-temperature membrane-based gas separations.

For project information:

Bill Hoerger, (203) 837-2145
bill_hoerger@praxair.com

Active Project Participants

• Hy9 Corporation (formerly Walter Juda Associates, Inc.) (Woburn, MA)
  [Original, Active Member]
  
• Tufts University (Medford, MA)
  [Original, Active Member]
  

ATP Project Manager

Richard Bartholomew, (301) 975-4786
richard.bartholomew@nist.gov