ROCKLEDGE, FL – November 5th, 2010 – Mainstream Engineering Corporation, leading research, and development company specializing in advanced thermal control and energy conversion, has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Energy for the development of Nickel-Based Amorphous Metal Membranes for Water Gas Shift Reactors. Hydrogen produced today from coal, natural gas, or biomass must be separated and purified outside the reactors using pressure swing adsorption (PSA), a process that requires significant additional space and energy. Placing hydrogen-permeable membranes inside the reactors themselves will allow hydrogen to diffuse out, thereby reducing the cost of hydrogen production. Mainstream will demonstrate an innovative new metal membrane for use inside of high-temperature water gas shift membrane reactors. By removing hydrogen continuously as it forms inside these reactors, this new membrane eliminates the need for bulky and expensive downstream pressure swing adsorption purifiers. This approach not only streamlines reformer and gasifier-based hydrogen production, it dramatically lowers the overall cost of hydrogen production. The resulting cost and energy savings will help the domestic natural gas, coal, and biomass industries as well as move the U.S. closer to a clean, sustainable hydrogen economy.