DOE Recognized for Hydrogen Transport Ceramic Membrane

Fuel Cells Today, August 12, 2004

Department of Energy (DOE) secretary Spencer Abraham recently announced that researchers at DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and companies conducting DOE-funded research have won four awards presented this year by R&D Magazine for "the most outstanding technology developments with the greatest commercial potential," including a new hydrogen transport membrane.

According to DOE, the hydrogen transport membrane, which was developed at the department's Argonne National Laboratory, is a "commercially viable, dense ceramic membrane that provides pure hydrogen gas by selectively separating hydrogen from gas mixtures generated by fossil fuel processes," including the separation of carbon-based feedstocks and methane reforming.

"This membrane has the potential to separate hydrogen from coal-gas streams," said DOE. "This is a key technology for the direct production of hydrogen fuel from coal. It is capable of operating at high temperatures and pressures required by these processes, but without being embrittled by its interactions with hydrogen and without becoming poisoned by the presence of sulfur in the feed gases."

Contact: DOE, website http://www.doe.gov.

(EIN STAFF: 8/9)