Patent ID: 7045231

Claim:
A process for converting a combination of hydrocarbon fuel and water vapor into hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, using water molecules that diffuse through a membrane by steam permeation, comprising: (a) providing a ceramic membrane comprising an oxide ceramic having intrinsic and extrinsic oxygen ion vacancies, and having first and second surfaces; wherein the oxide ceramic capable of reacting with gaseous water molecules at the first surface by the reversible reaction, H 2 O(g)+V O •• +O O x ⇄2OH O • ; and the oxide ceramic capable of producing gaseous water molecules at the second surface by the reversible reaction, 2OH O • ⇄H 2 O(g)+V O •• +O O O x ; (b) contacting water vapor with the first surface; (c) contacting a hydrocarbon fuel with the second surface, wherein a partial pressure of water vapor at the second surface is less than a partial pressure of the water vapor at the first surface; wherein the contacting steps cause solid state ambipolar diffusion of oxygen ion vacancies and protons across the membrane; and the ambipolar diffusion produces a net diffusion flux of water molecules through the membrane from the first surface to the second surface; and, the reaction of the water molecules with hydrocarbon molecules at the second surface produces hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide; and the chemical activity of water molecules at the first surface is maintained greater than or equal to the chemical activity of water molecules at the second surface.