Microstructure Control of Ceramic Functional Membrane by Electrophoretic Deposition Method and Its Application to Oxygen Separation Membrane using Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductor

Abstract

Pure oxygen is mainly produced by separating oxygen from the air. Oxygen separation membranes using mixed oxide ionic-electronic conductor (MIEC) selectively separate high-purity oxygen via oxide ions using the oxygen partial pressure difference on both sides of the membrane as a driving force. It is expected to be industrially put into practical use as a device suitable for on-site oxygen production. In order to improve the oxygen separation efficiency, it is important to increase the surface reaction area and reduce the thickness of the membrane. A multi-layered structure composed of “porous layer / dense thin layer / porous support layer” is suitable for the purpose. Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is a very suitable method for forming such a multilayered structure. This review introduces the processing viewpoints to optimize various conditions such as suspension preparation conditions, EPD conditions, and co-sintering conditions. Finally, the oxygen separation performance is tested for the obtained membrane and the importance of microstructural design and process selection in improving oxygen separation performance is discussed.