Patent ID: 8043418

Claim:
An apparatus for separating at least one component from a mixture of a plurality of chemical species, the apparatus comprising: a membrane structure comprising a plurality of pores disposed within a matrix material to allow mass transport from a first surface of the membrane structure to a second surface of the membrane structure, wherein the matrix material comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, stainless steel, iron-based alloy, nickel-based alloy, NiCrAlY, titanium, aluminum-based alloy, and copper-based alloy, wherein the matrix material has a thermal conductivity of greater than or equal to 10 W/m/K; and a functional material disposed within at least a portion of the plurality of pores, wherein the functional material has the property of promoting selective transport of at least one species through the membrane structure from the first surface to the second surface, wherein the functional material comprises a ceramic selected from the group consisting of magnesia, calcium oxide, strontium oxide, barium oxide, lanthanum oxide, ceria, titania, hafnia, yttria, vanadium oxide, niobium oxide, tantalum oxide, ATiO 3 , AZrO 3 , AAl 2 O 4 , A 1 FeO 3 , A 1 MnO 3 , A 1 CoO 3 , A 1 NiO 3 , A 2 HfO 3 , A 3 CeO 3 , Li 2 ZrO 3 , Li 2 SiO 3 , Li 2 TiO 3 , Li 2 HfO 3 , A 4 N 1 y O z , Y x N 1 y O z , La x N 1 y O z , and HfN 2 y O z , wherein A is La, Mg, Ca, Sr or Ba; A 1 is La, Ca, Sr or Ba; A 2 is Ca, Sr or Ba; A 3 is Sr or Ba; A 4 is Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ti or Zr; N 1 is V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Si or Ge; N 2 is V, Mo, W or Si; x is 1 or 2; y is in the range from 1 to 3; and z is in the range from 2 to 7.