Production of hydrogen from hydrogen sulfide by means of selective diffusion membranes

The possibilities of using microporous ceramic membranes were examined for the production of hydrogen from hydrogen sulfide. A microporous Vycor-type glass tubing membrane of a mean pore diameter of 45 Å and new microporous alumina tubing membrane of diameter 1020 Å could be used up to 800°C and at higher temperatures, respectively, as a membrane for separating hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide. The microporous alumina tubing membrane has a 30-fold higher permeability than the microporous Vycor glass tubing membrane. When these membranes were applied to the direct decomposition of hydrogen sulfide, the yield of hydrogen increased by about two times the equilibrium yield calculated for the process without hydrogen removal.