Process for preparing palladium alloy composite membranes for use in hydrogen separation, palladium alloy composite membranes and products incorporating or made from the membranes

1. A method for making a palladium alloy composite membrane consisting of:

seeding at least a portion of an asymmetric porous substrate for supporting a palladium alloy film with palladium crystallites to produce an activated surface, wherein said porous substrate has a pore size gradient in a range of between 20 nm to 50 nm and a pore size adjacent to said porous substrate for supporting said palladium alloy film of between about 50 nm and 5 nm;

first plating, over said activated surface, a palladium film;

second plating, over said palladium film, an alloying material, wherein said alloying material is gold; and

annealing said porous substrate, said palladium film, and said alloying material so that there is intermetallic diffusion of said alloying material into said palladium film to produce said palladium alloy film over said porous substrate.

2. A method, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein: said pore size adjacent said porous substrate for supporting said palladium alloy film is about 50 nm.

3. A method, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein: said pore size adjacent said porous substrate for supporting said palladium alloy film is about 20 nm.

4. A method, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein: said pore size adjacent said porous substrate for supporting said palladium alloy film is about 5 nm.

5. A method, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein: said step of first plating has a duration that is chosen based on said pore size and a desired palladium alloy film thickness.

6. A method, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein: said step of second plating has a duration that is chosen based on said pore size and a desired palladium alloy film thickness.

7. A method, as claimed in claim 1 , wherein: said steps of first plating and second plating are performed so as to produce a desired weight percentage for at least one of said palladium film and said alloying material.

8. A method, as claimed in claim 7 , wherein: said desired weight percentage is chosen based on a desired hydrogen flux for said palladium alloy film.

9. A method for making a palladium alloy composite membrane consisting of:

seeding at least a portion of an asymmetric porous substrate for supporting a palladium film with palladium crystallites to produce an activated surface, wherein said porous substrate for supporting said palladium alloy film has a pore size gradient in a range of between 20 nm to 50 nm and a pore size adjacent to said porous substrate for supporting said palladium alloy film of between about 5 nm and 50 nm;

first plating, over said activated surface, a palladium film;

second plating, over said palladium film, an alloying material, wherein said alloying material is gold; and

annealing said porous substrate, said palladium film, and said alloying material so that there is intermetallic diffusion of said alloying material and said palladium film to produce said palladium alloy film over said porous substrate;

wherein said pore size is determinative of a minimum thickness for said palladium alloy film;

wherein said steps of first plating, second plating and annealing are performed so as to produce said palladium alloy film with a film thickness that is equal or greater than said minimum thickness.

10. A method, as claimed in claim 9 , wherein: said palladium alloy film thickness is between about 10 microns and about 1 micron.

11. A method, as claimed in claim 9 , wherein: said palladium alloy film thickness is between about 5 microns and about 1 micron.

12. A method, as claimed in claim 9 , wherein: said palladium alloy film thickness is between about 1 micron and about 2 microns.

13. A method, as claimed in claim 9 , wherein: said palladium alloy film thickness is equal to about 1 micron.

14. A method, as claimed in claim 9 , wherein: said steps of first plating and second plating are performed so as to produce a desired weight percentage for at least one of said palladium film and said alloying material.

15. A method, as claimed in claim 14 , wherein: said desired weight percentage is chosen based on a desired hydrogen flux for said palladium alloy film.

16. A method, as claimed in claim 9 , wherein: said alloying material is selected from Groups VIII and IB.

17. A method for making a palladium alloy composite membrane consisting of:

seeding at least a portion of an asymmetric porous substrate for supporting a palladium alloy film with palladium crystallites to produce an activated surface, wherein said asymmetric porous substrate has been pre-processed and wherein the pre-processing consists of cleaning, shaping and a combination thereof;

first plating, over said activated surface, a palladium film;

second plating, over said palladium film, an alloying material, wherein said alloying material is gold;

annealing said porous substrate, said palladium film, and said alloying material so that there is intermetallic diffusion of said alloying material and said palladium film to produce a palladium alloy film over said porous substrate; and

subjecting, after said step of annealing, said porous substrate and said palladium alloy film to an air oxidation at a temperature greater than about 350° C. for a time between 5 min and 30 min.

18. A method, as claimed in claim 17 , wherein: said porous substrate has a pore size adjacent to said porous substrate for supporting said palladium alloy film of about 50 nm.

19. A method, as claimed in claim 17 , wherein:

said porous substrate has a pore size adjacent to said porous substrate for supporting said palladium alloy film and said pore size is determinative of a minimum thickness for said palladium alloy film that is substantially free of leaks; and

said steps of first plating, second plating and annealing are performed so as to produce a palladium alloy film with a film thickness that is equal to or greater than said minimum thickness.

20. A method, as claimed in claim 17 , wherein at least one adjacent surface of said porous substrate for supporting said palladium alloy film are sealed.