Physical chemical properties of polyimide palladium nano - composite membranes

Polyimide polymer membranes posses´ exceptional physical - chemical properties including excellent stability at relatively high temperatures (~ 400°C), superior mechanical properties, and are highly resistant to various chemicals. Palladium is well known for its unique physical - chemical interactions with hydrogen. Interest in metal polymer composites can be attributed to the drive to produce a material with the savings in weight, advantages of flexibility, and ease of use in diverse configurations afforded by polymers, and at the same time incorporating the physical - chemical attributes of the metal of interest. The combination of polyimide and palladium may produce a nanocomposite with the thermal stability and flexibility of polyimide and the hydrogen separation properties of palladium. Commercial polyimide membranes (Kapton, Dupont) were treated with solution of NaOH and then thin films of palladium metal were deposited using an electroless deposition method. The samples were thoroughly characterized using FTIR, XRD, TEM and adhesive characteristics were determined using a 90 peel test. Variations in the pre-treatment regimes were found to affect the deposition of palladium in terms of the extent of penetration into the polymer matrix. Adherence of Pd to polyimide was demonstrated but will need improvement for application as an industrially viable composite hydrogen separation membrane.