Dense Ceramic-metal Composite Inorganic Membranes for Oxygen Separation

산소 분리를 위한 무공성 세라믹- 금속 복합 무기막

Dense oxygen ionic conducting materials can be used for oxygen separation membranes at high temperatures. However, they show relatively low permeation flux because of their large resistances. To reduce resistances and improve the oxygen permeation flux, thin dense yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ)/Pd composite dual-phase membranes were fabricated by a new approach that combines the reservoir method and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). A thin porous YSZ layer was coated on a porous alumina support by dip-coating the YSZ suspension. A continuous Pd phase was formed inside pores of the YSZ layer by the reservoir method. The residual pores of the YSZ/Pd layer were plugged with yttria/zirconia by CVD to ensure the gas tightness of the membranes. The oxygen permeation fluxes through these composite membrane were 2.0$\times$10$^{-8}$ mol/cm$^2$.s and 4.8$\times$10$^{-8}$ mol/cm$^2$.s at 105$0^{\circ}C$ when air and oxygen were used as the permeate gases, respectively. These oxygen permeation values are about 1 order of magnitude higher than those of pure YSZ membranes prepared under similar conditions.