High temperature efforts at Los Alamos National Laboratory Page: 2 of 10
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HIGH-TEMPERATURE MEMBRANE EFFORTS AT LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABOR-
ATORY
Nathaniel Peachey and Robert Dye
Los Alamos National Laboratory
MS E549
Los Alamos, NM 87545
With the potential for significant payoffs in chemical processing, separation science, and
"green technology", inorganic membranes merit the increased attention they are currently receiving.
Application of thin film deposition and characterization expertise at Los Alamos National
Laboratory (LANL) to the fabrication of membranes has led to the development of two new
membranes. The first is a zeolitic film formed by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The material
deposited is largely amorphous but yields an interesting microporous structure. The pores,
:roughly>1.0to 15,4: ndiamete,,rugerpendicular to the substrate and, since the film is typically
only a half micron thick, provide excellentflow rates. The PLD material has been deposited on
quartz crystal microbalances (QCMs) to investigate its potential as a sensor. As such, it has shown
discrimination of simple alcohol isomers. The second membrane, consisting of a composite metal
structure, passes hydrogen exclusively. Currently, we are studying the possibility of incorporating
the membrane in a hydrogen fuel cell using a methanol reformer.
I. Pulsed Laser Deposition of Zeolitic Materials
The predictable microporosity combined with the well-defined shape of the zeolite cage
have made this material one of the most widely. used catalysts in the chemical processing industry.
Consequently, the incentive for constructing a zeolite membrane for use in separation and catalytic
processes is quite high. For such a membrane to be useful, it must be pinhole-free, thin enough to
provide high flow rates, and economical to produce. Various attempts to achieve these goals
include attaching zeolite crystals to gold surfaces using thio-organosilane coupling layers1,2,
embedding zeolites in a metal foil3, or incorporating them in an epoxy4 or silica matrix5. Zeolites
have also been constructed on various supports6,7 or as free-standing films8. Unfortunately, most
of the films developed to date do not meet all of the above-mentioned requirements. In the ongoing
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Peachey, N. & Dye, R. High temperature efforts at Los Alamos National Laboratory, article, December 1995; New Mexico. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc627315/m1/2/: accessed May 13, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.