Membranes for Hydrogen Purification: An Important Step toward a Hydrogen-Based Economy

Production of pure molecular hydrogen is essential to the realization of the proposed “hydrogen economy” that could ultimately provide hydrogen as a clean, renewable source of energy; eliminate the industrialized world’s dependence on petroleum; and reduce the generation of greenhouse gases linked to global warming. A crucial step in obtaining pure hydrogen is separating it from other gaseous compounds—mainly CO2—that often accompany hydrogen in industrial chemical reactions. Advanced membrane technology may prove to be the key to the successful, economical production of molecular hydrogen.