Composite hydrogen transport membranes, which are used for extraction of
hydrogen from gas mixtures are provided. Methods are described for supporting metals
and metal alloys which have high hydrogen permeability, but which are either too
thin to be self supporting, too weak to resist differential pressures across the
membrane, or which become embrittled by hydrogen. Support materials are chosen
to be lattice matched to the metals and metal alloys. Preferred metals with high
permeability for hydrogen include vanadium, niobium, tantalum, zirconium, palladium,
and alloys thereof. Hydrogen-permeable membranes include those in which the pores
of a porous support matrix are blocked by hydrogen-permeable metals and metal alloys,
those in which the pores of a porous metal matrix are blocked with materials which
make the membrane impervious to gases other than hydrogen, and cermets fabricated
by sintering powders of metals with powders of lattice-matched ceramic.
