Patent ID: 7125528

Claim:
An apparatus for separating oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas and facilitating a chemical reaction with the separated oxygen, the apparatus comprising: (a) a mixed conducting membrane having opposed oxidation and reduction surfaces, the membrane comprising a non-porous, gas-impermeable, solid material or mixture of solid materials capable of simultaneously conducting oxygen ions and electrons; (b) a porous body comprising one or more substances selected from the group consisting of alumina, (AL 2 O 3 ), silica (SiO 2 ), ceria (CeO 2 ), zirconia (ZrO 2 ) titania (TIO 2 ), magnesium oxide (MgO), and mixtures thereof, and optionally one or more dopants selected from the group consisting of alkaline earth metals, lanthanum, and lanthanide series metals; and, (c) a material for catalyzing the reaction, the material disposed between the reduction surface and the porous body, wherein the membrane, the catalyzing material, and the porous body are constructed of different substances, and wherein the catalyzing material is non-reactive with the membrane at conditions experienced during the oxygen separation and the chemical reaction.