Morphological study of supported thin Pd and Pd–25Ag membranes upon hydrogen permeation

Morphological change of Pd and Pd–25Ag membranes supported by V–15Ni alloy upon hydrogen permeation was investigated in the temperature range 423–673 K. The supported Pd–25Ag membrane exhibited higher resistance to hydrogen-induced cracking and grain growth than the supported Pd membrane. Long-term permeation of Pd–25Ag/V–15Ni composite membrane was carried out at 573 and 673 K for 200 h. There was no strong metallic interdiffusion between the Pd–25Ag membrane and the V–15Ni support after the long-term permeation at 573 K but small amounts of oxide had formed on the surface of Pd–25Ag membrane. Whisker and fissure-oxide morphologies were dominant on the exit and entrance side of the Pd–25Ag/V–15Ni composite membrane, respectively, accompanied by severe metallic interdiffusion after the long-term permeation at 673 K. AES and FE-SEM results revealed that metallic interdiffusion and selective oxidation of vanadium were responsible for the deterioration of Pd–25Ag membrane at 673 K. Hydrogenation–dehydrogenation of Pd and Pd–25Ag membranes supported by stainless steel and V–15Ni alloy were in situ examined by an optical microscope. The formation of hydride was uniform in the Pd/V–15Ni sample but localized in the Pd–25Ag/V–15Ni sample, suggesting that the hydrogen transfer through interface was strongly dependent on the composition of Pd alloy membranes. As for the stainless steel supported samples, both Pd and Pd–25Ag membranes had fractured.