Analysis of oxygen permeation through dense ceramic membranes with chemical reactions of finite rate

The oxygen permeation through oxygen ionic or mixed-conducting ceramic membranes under reaction conditions was examined with a model taking into account of different electrical transport mechanisms (p-type and n-type transports) and finite reaction rate. It was demonstrated that with a reaction consuming oxygen in one side of the membrane, the oxygen partial pressure in the reaction side decreases and the oxygen permeation flux increases with the increase in the reaction rate for both the p-type and the n-type transport dominated mechanism. The increase in reaction rate causes a transition of the transport mechanism from p-type to n-type. This transition leads to an increase in the permeation flux by up to 30 times. This effect offers one explanation for the large discrepancies in published permeation data for membrane reactors of partial oxidation reaction employing an oxygen permeable dense ceramic membrane. For a membrane with a specific transport mechanism, the increase in the reactant partial pressure causes an increase in the reaction rate and oxygen permeation flux. However, the increase in the inlet inert gas amount has a complicated effect on the oxygen permeation flux because it lowers both oxygen partial pressure and the reaction rate at the same time. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.