Membrane for hydrogen recovery from streams containing hydrogen sulfide

1. A membrane for hydrogen recovery from streams containing hydrogen sulfide, the membrane comprising:

a substrate;

a hydrogen permeable first membrane layer deposited on the substrate; and

a second membrane layer deposited on the first layer, the second layer containing sulfides of transition metals and positioned on the on a feed side of the hydrogen sulfide stream.

2. The membrane of claim 1 wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of polymeric, inorganic, ceramic, and metallic.

3. The membrane of claim 1 wherein the hydrogen permeable first layer is selected from the group consisting of palladium, palladium alloys, platinum, platinum alloys, vanadium, niobium, and tantalum.

4. The membrane of claim 1 wherein the sulfides of transition metals of the second layer are selected from the group consisting of molybdenum sulfide and tungsten sulfide.

5. The membrane of claim 1 wherein the sulfides of transition metals of the second layer are impregnated with transition metals.

6. The membrane of claim 1 and further comprising:

means for facilitating decomposition of H 2 S.

7. The membrane of claim 6 wherein the facilitating means are non-thermal plasmas selected from the group consisting of corona or silent barrier discharges.

8. A method for the direct decomposition of hydrogen sulfide to hydrogen and sulfur, the method comprising:

providing a membrane layer having sulfides of transition metals deposited thereon;

directing a hydrogen sulfide stream toward the membrane layer;

moving the hydrogen only through the membrane layer; and

moving the sulfur only away from the membrane layer.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the sulfides of transition metals are selected from the group consisting of molybdenum sulfide and tungsten sulfide.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the membrane layer includes a substrate layer and a metal sulfide layer deposited on the substrate, and further comprising:

a hydrogen permeable layer deposited on the substrate between the substrate layer and the metal sulfide layer.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the hydrogen permeable layer is selected from the group consisting of palladium, palladium alloys, platinum, platinum alloys, vanadium, niobium, and tantalum.

12. The method of claim 8 and further comprising:

means for facilitating decomposition of H 2 S.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the facilitating means are non-thermal plasmas selected from the group consisting of corona or silent barrier discharges.

14. A membrane for hydrogen recovery from streams containing hydrogen sulfide, the hydrogen sulfide composed of at least hydrogen and sulfur, the membrane comprising:

a substrate layer; and

a metal sulfide layer deposited on the substrate creating a membrane layer;

wherein the metal sulfide layer includes sulfides of transition metals selected from the group consisting of molybdenum sulfide and tungsten sulfide; and

wherein the sulfides of transition metals are impregnated with transition metals.

15. A membrane for hydrogen recovery from streams containing hydrogen sulfide, the hydrogen sulfide composed of at least hydrogen and sulfur, the membrane comprising:

a substrate layer;

a metal sulfide layer deposited on the substrate creating a membrane layer; and

a hydrogen permeable layer deposited on the substrate between the substrate layer and the metal sulfide layer.

16. The membrane of claim 15 wherein the hydrogen permeable layer is selected from the group consisting of palladium, palladium alloys, platinum, platinum alloys, vanadium, niobium, and tantalum.