Abstract: Novel heat treatment techniques for improving and optimizing the hydrogen permeability of thin palladium-copper alloy foil membranes and, in particular, Pd/40%Cu alloy membranes.

Abstract: A novel method of producing an improved thin hydrogen-selective palladium-alloy membrane, through solid-solid interdiffusion of thin films or layers of palladium and a palladium-enhancing metal, such as copper, subjected in the presence of a reducing agent, such as hydrogen, to an elevated temperature below the melting point of both metals, for a sufficient time to effect substantially complete interdiffusion of the metals.

Abstract: A novel method and apparatus for one-step linking of membrane permeation of hydrogen to the generation by steam reforming of a methanol-like fuel that comprises bounding a longitudinal flow path of a methanol reformate stream comprising hydrogen, steam and the oxides of carbon and methanol, by a thin palladium-bearing membrane; promoting turbulence in the flow to cause a predominant amount, but not all, of the hydrogen in the stream transversely to permeate the membrane as substantially pure hydrogen passing transversely into a region external to the bounding membrane, thereby simultaneously generating and permeating the hydrogen; and maintaining the hydrogen in the external region at least at atmospheric pressure, but at a lower pressure than the partial pressure of the residual hydrogen in the resulting depleted reformate.

Abstract: A new method of creating thin free-standing pin hole-free hydrogen-selective palladium-bearing membranes that comprises thinning cold-rolled membranes by chemical etching or electrochemically electrolyzing of at least one membrane surface, and novel membranes produced thereby and including membranes with selected portions only thereof so thinned.