Gas Permeation Property of Silicon Carbide Membranes Synthesized by Counter-Diffusion Chemical Vapor Deposition

Abstract

An amorphous silicon carbide (SiC) membrane was synthesized by counter-diffusion chemical vapor deposition (CDCVD) using silacyclobutane (SCB) at 788 K. The SiC membrane on a Ni-γ-alumina (Al2O3) α-coated Al2O3 porous support possessed a H2 permeance of 1.2 × 10−7 mol·m−2·s−1·Pa−1 and an excellent H2/CO2 selectivity of 2600 at 673 K. The intermittent action of H2 reaction gas supply and vacuum inside porous support was very effective to supply source gas inside mesoporous intermediate layer. A SiC active layer was formed inside the Ni-γ-Al2O3 intermediate layer. The thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between the SiC active layer and Ni-γ-Al2O3-coated α-Al2O3 porous support was eased by the low decomposition temperature of the SiC source and the membrane structure.