| Development of a reliable and inexpensive method for producing hydrogen permeable membranes is of intense interest to ongoing fuel cell research. This study investigated electroless plating of palladium onto stainless steel substrates in hydrazine solution as a possible means of membrane production. Following initial research to establish the optimum infiltrant particle size, sensitization time, and activation time, electroless plating experiments were performed to determine the effects of varying hydrazine concentration, agitation, and residence time on the palladium deposit quality and morphology. SEM examination of the experimental products elucidated relationships between specific plating bath parameters or combinations of parameters, the governing deposition mechanisms, and the deposit morphologies. The results indicate that it is possible to produce application-specific deposit layer morphologies by modifying the plating bath parameters at critical stages of the plating cycle. |
