Nippon Seisen of the largest stainless steel wire manufacturer is taking a stride for developments of new demand and is about to enhance marketing of the palladium (Pd) alloy hydrogen (H2) separation membrane for high-purity H2 gas production which it commercialized in 2008.

The company has so far been heading for the establishment of the basic technology which could be of help at various H2 supply sites assuming the advent of the age of versatile uses of H2, making an effective use of its own research on metallic materials and know-how on processing technologies. Practically, it has been represented by the development of electrical dehydrogenating heater of organic hydride or HYBREM stainless steel wire which is highly resistant against any H2 embrittlement.

Above all, the research on H2 separation membrane module started early ahead of others. In 2004 on its participation in the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) project the company started with the development by applying a special welding seal on Pd alloy foil and embedding in the housing. This development has enhanced the strength of hydrogen separation module up to a level for a practical use.

Taking advantage of the property of palladium which only allows a hydrogen particle to pass through the filter, the company accomplished a high purity of 9N just by passing through the separation membrane module. The module is a fully metallic cylinder with an outside diameter of 30mm, which can be connected to a unit module to respond to a much larger flow-rate. The design and sales of the H2 purifying system to meet user’s flow-rate has been based on the assumption that there would be PSA substitutions of H2 generator in oil refineries or H2 stations, H2 purifying process of FC for household use and high-purity H2 purification for the semiconductor industry.

Nippon Seisen is confident enough to say, “The separation module responsive to a large flow-rate can be more effective for a small-sized system because of the merit that a high-purity H2 can be obtained only by passing through the module. It is suitable for an on-the-spot purification in a small station or modified H2. Despite the on-going efforts to diffuse FC as part of the global warming issue, it is meaningless if the H2 modifier from coal, natural gas, oil or biomass cannot be operated by an energy-saving means. At the moment it is a problem that PSA cannot be down-sized and energy-saving. We now aim for the demand to replace PSA.”