BSCF 5582 and LSCF 6428 Mixed Conducting Membranes for Syngas Production

The oxygen permeation performance of three mixed ionic-electronic conducting membranes was investigated. Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-( (BSCF 5582) membrane was chosen due to its reported high oxygen permeation flux, electronic conductivity and good chemical stability. They were fabricated using powders synthesised using both sol-gel and solid-state methods. A commercial La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-( (LSCF 6428) membrane, fabricated with a powder synthesised using combustion spray pyrolysis, was also used for comparative studies. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive analysis X-ray emission were used to characterise the powders and membranes. Oxygen permeation fluxes through the membranes were measured using pure helium on one side of the reactor and air on the other side in the temperature range 650 oC to 850 oC. The oxygen permeation fluxes are compared to target fluxes available in the literature. Furthermore, difficulties arising from imperfect sealing of the BSCF 5582 and LSCF 6428 membranes in the reactor are discussed