High-performance Ni-BaZr_0.1Ce_0.7Y _0.1Yb_0.1O_3-δ (BZCYYb) membranes for hydrogen separation

Cermet membranes composited of Ni and doped barium cerate have been widely studied for hydrogen separation; however, their practical application is limited primarily by the relatively low permeation rate and instability of doped barium cerate in H₂O and CO₂ containing gases. Here we report our findings on the development of a thin-film cermet membrane consisting of Ni and BaZr_0.1Ce_0.7Y_0.1Yb_0.1O _3-δ (BZCYYb), supported on a porous Ni-BZCYYb substrate. High fluxes of 1.12 and 0.49 ml min^-1 cm^-2 have been demonstrated at 900 C and 700 C, respectively, when hydrogen was used as the feed gas on one side and N₂ as the sweep gas on the other side. Most importantly, the high-performance membrane can be easily fabricated by a cost-effective particle-suspension coating/co-firing process, offering great promise for large scale hydrogen separation applications.