Hydrogen Separation Membranes (Researched in February 2025)
Coverage: (Product/service)
Hydrogen Separation Membrane Technology
Research Target:
Companies and R&D institutions developing hydrogen separation membrane technology
Research Content:
This report was introduced in the March 2025 issue of our periodical, “Yano E plus.”
TOC:
— Selective hydrogen permeation properties—permeable to hydrogen but impermeable to other gases—
essential for efficiently obtaining high-purity hydrogen in production and supply processes
1. Rising Interest in Hydrogen Separation Membranes
1-1. Growing Demand for Hydrogen Energy
1-2. Improving Energy Efficiency and Reducing Costs
1-3. Integration with CO₂ Reduction and Carbon dioxide Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) Technologies
1-4. Emerging Technological Innovations and Expanding Applications
2. Types and Characteristics of Hydrogen Separation Membranes Technologies
2-1. Metallic Membranes
(1) Palladium (Pd) Membranes
(2) Other Metal and Alloy Membranes
2-2. Inorganic Membranes
(1) Ceramic Membranes
(2) Metal Oxide Membranes
2-3. Polymeric Membranes
(1) Polysulfone Membranes
(2) Ion Exchange Membranes
2-4. Composite Membranes
(1) Metal–Ceramic Composite Membranes
(2) Polymer–Inorganic Composite Membranes
3. Application Areas of Hydrogen Separation Membrane Technology
3-1. Hydrogen Production Processes
(1) Steam Reforming
(2) Biomass Gasification
(3) Ammonia Cracking
3-2. Fuel Cell Systems
(1) Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC)
(2) Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC)
3-3. Chemical Processing Industries
(1) Ammonia Production (Haber-Bosch Process)
(2) Methanol Production
3-4. CO₂ Reduction Technologies (CCUS)
(1) Post-combustion Capture
(2) Pre-combustion Capture
3-5. Hydrogen Energy Storage and Transportation
(1) Hydrogen Storage Technologies
(2) Hydrogen Transport Technologies
4. Market Size of Hydrogen Separation Membranes
5. Technological Initiatives by Companies and Research Institutes in the Field of Hydrogen Separation Membranes
5-1. Utsunomiya University
(1) Development of Water Electrolysis Hydrogenation Equipment
(2) Achieving Over 90% Hydrogen Permeation through Membranes and Methylcyclohexane Synthesis via Toluene Hydrogenation
5-2. National Institute of Technology, Oita College
(1) Hydrogen Separation Using Metallic Membranes
(2) Hydrogen Separation Using Vanadium Alloy Membranes
(3) Large-area, high-throughput, and stacked configuration of vanadium hydrogen permeable membranes leading to the development of high-throughput devices
5-3. Gifu University (Tokai National Higher Education and Research System)
(1) Application of Palladium-Based Metal Membranes in Membrane Reactors
(2) Application of Palladium-Based Metal Membranes in Integrated Reaction-Separation Processes
5-4. Tanaka Precious Metal Group / Tanaka Precious Metal Technologies Co., Ltd.
（1）Mechanism of Hydrogen Permeation Using Pd Membranes
（2）Properties of Major Materials for Hydrogen Permeation Membranes
(3) Evaluation of Hydrogen Permeation Performance
6. Challenges and Future Prospects of Hydrogen Separation Membranes
6-1. Challenges
(1) High Costs
(2) Durability and Membrane Degradation
(3) Trade-off Between Permeation Rate and Selectivity
(4) Challenges in Scalability and Large-Scale Implementation
(5) Environmental Impact and Safety
6-2. Future Outlook
(1) Expansion of Demand and Use of Green Hydrogen
(2) Performance Enhancement through Development of New Materials
(3) Application to Hydrogen Stations and Transportation Infrastructure
(4) Expansion of Hydrogen Use in Industrial Applications
(5) Linkage with CO₂ Reduction and Carbon Recycling
(6) Cost Reduction and Mass Production
(7) Policy Support and International Cooperation Toward a Sustainable Society