In order to prepare low cost

high hydrogen permeability

long runtime and high stress H-permselective membranes

the refractory metal zirconium (Zr) was selected as the membrane’s substrate. Using high temperature vacuum hydrogenation method ( at the vacuum of 4.0×10-4 Pa and 650 ℃)

the surface oxide film of Zr was relaxed

decomposed and removed; then ZrH2 film was formed on the clean Zr surface at hydrogen atmosphere. At the vacuum of 6.6×10-6 Pa

a Pd film about 400 nm thick was deposited on each surface of the zirconium disk (φ 50 mm ×0.23 mm) by the method of ion sputtering plating. The Pd membrane is bright

fine and smooth. It is easy to control the Pd film thickness. Having been annealed

the Pd film adheres strongly to the Zr substrate

and the internal stress between the Pd and the Zr disappears. The composite membranes are compact and bright. The surfaces of the zirconium and the composite membrane were analyzed by XRD and XPS. These Pd-Zr H-permselective composite membranes will be vastly applicable to the purification of nuclear and fusion fuel and the distillation of tritium from breeder reactor.