Hollow fiber membrane of yttrium-stabilized zirconia and strontium-doped lanthanum manganite dual-phase composite for oxygen separation

The hollow fiber composite membrane involving Zr0.84Y0.16O1.92 (YSZ) as an oxygen ionic conductor and La0.8Sr0.2MnO3-delta (LSM) as an electronic conductor was explored for oxygen separation application. The hollow fiber precursor was prepared by the phase-inversion process, and transformed to a gas-tight ceramic by sintering at 1350 degrees C. The as-prepared fiber exhibited a thermal expansion coefficient of 11.1 x 10(-6) K-1 and a three-point bending strength of 152 +/- 12 Wa. An oxygen permeation flux of 2.1 x 10(-1) mol cm(-2) s(-1) was obtained under air/He gradient at 950 degrees C for a hollow fiber of length 57.00 mm and wall thickness 0.16 mm. The oxygen permeation flux remained unchanged when the sweeping gas was changed from helium to high concentration of CO2. Considering the satisfactory trade-off between the permeability and stability, the YSZ-LSM hollow fiber is promising for oxygen production applications. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.