Photo caption: Schematic illustration of H 2 transport through a metal membrane.

1. “Computational Modeling of Hydrogen Purification Through Metal Membranes,” Angela Dapolite, Clarkson University There has been a growing concern for finding alternate fuel sources, especially since many of today’s energy sources are harmful to the environment. Hydrogen is one alternate fuel source that has received much attention. The main usage for hydrogen for energy purposes has been with fuel cells. Unfortunately, fuel cells need high purity hydrogen in order to operate optimally; one method of purifying hydrogen involves using metal membranes, specifically Pd-based membranes. Pd membranes are selective towards purifying hydrogen, however they are prone to many problems such as embrittlement and chemical poisoning. A potential solution is to use Pd-based alloys; these alloys, such as PdCu, PdAg, and PdRh, can improve resistance to contamination while retaining the properties of Pd membranes. Advances in metal membrane technology can easily improve the efficiency of hydrogen purification by providing a high flux of hydrogen while operating under many temperatures and pressures. The permeation of hydrogen through these metal membranes consists of six steps, as illustrated in the figure to the right. Our goal is to screen numerous binary alloys to find the alloy that is best suited for hydrogen purification. Now just imagine: a cleaner fuel, a more efficient fuel, a better world. Insert a graphic illustrating the highlight. The best graphic are those that need little or no explanation Photo caption: Schematic illustration of H2 transport through a metal membrane.