Patent ID: 7413687

Claim:
A device for conducting protons at a temperature below 550° C. comprising a ceramic body having a chemical formula: A 2-x A′ x B 2-y B′ y O 9-δ wherein: a. A consists essentially of at least one trivalent element selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, actinium, thorium, protactinium, uranium, bismuth, antimony, and arsenic; b. A′ consists essentially of at least one element selected from the group consisting of monovalent lithium, monovalent sodium, monovalent potassium, monovalent rubidium, monovalent cesium, monovalent francium, divalent beryllium, divalent magnesium, divalent calcium, divalent strontium, divalent barium, divalent radium, divalent tin, divalent lead, divalent samarium, divalent europium, divalent erbium, divalent thulium divalent ytterbium, quadrivalent thorium, quadrivalent uranium, quadrivalent titanium, quadrivalent zirconium, quadrivalent hafnium, quadrivalent thorium, quadrivalent cerium, quadrivalent praseodymium, and quadrivalent terbium; c. B consists essentially of at least one element selected from the group consisting of hexavalent chromium, hexavalent molybdenum, hexavalent tungsten, hexavalent uranium, hexavalent manganese, hexavalent technetium, hexavalent rhenium, hexavalent iron, hexavalent cobalt, hexavalent nickel, hexavalent ruthenium, hexavalent rhodium, hexavalent palladium, hexavalent osmium, hexavalent iridium, hexavalent platinum, hexavalent sulfur, hexavalent selenium, hexavalent tellurium, and hexavalent polonium; d. B′ consists essentially of at least one element selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, scandium, yttrium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, elements of groups IVA to IIB having an oxidation number of less than 6, aluminum III, silicon IV, gallium III, germanium IV, indium III, tin IV, phosphorus V, antimony V and bismuth V; and e. 0≦x<2 and 0≦y<2; at least 30% of said ceramic body characterized by an alpha crystalline structure, said ceramic body disposed as a device for conducting protons at a temperature below 550° C.