Method and a starting material for the manufacture of a hydrogen permeable membrane and a hydrogen permeable membrane

A method for the manufacture of a hydrogen-permeable membrane, comprising:

• plasma spraying, via low pressure plasma spraying thin film (LPPS-TF) process, at least one dense layer on a porous substrate, said at least one layer comprising a proton-conducting ceramic material and an electron-conducting metallic component;
• and
• said plasma spraying forming the at least one layer by sweeping a process beam across the substrate with one sweep of the process beam forming individual splats which do not produce a cohesive layer,
• wherein the plasma spraying utilizes a sprayable starting material powder having a particle size of between 1 μm and 80 μm and that contains the proton-conducting ceramic material and the electron-conducting metallic component;
• wherein the plasma spraying utilizes a process beam dispersing the sprayable starting material powder to a cloud,
• wherein the proton-conducting ceramic material is an oxide of the perovskite type,
• wherein the electron-conducting metallic component in the at least one layer is arranged to form one of migration paths and trickle paths that increase electron conductivity of the at least one layer,
• wherein said membrane has a hydrogen flow rate greater than 10 milliliters per minute and square centimeter.

A method for the manufacture of a hydrogen-permeable membrane having a hydrogen flow rate greater than 10 milliliter per minute and square centimeter, comprising:

• plasma spraying at least one dense layer on a porous substrate, said at least one layer comprising a proton-conducting ceramic material and an electron-conducting metallic component,
• wherein the proton-conducting ceramic material is an oxide of the perovskite type,
• wherein the at least one layer:
• is deposited by sweeping a plasma beam over the substrate such that one sweep of the plasma beam forms individual splats over the substrate;
• and
• includes therein migration paths and trickle paths that increase electron conductivity of the at least one layer and contain the electron-conducting metallic component, and
• wherein the plasma spraying is a low pressure plasma spraying thin film (LPPS-TF) process and the plasma spraying utilizes:
• a sprayable starting material having a particle size of between 1 μm and 80 μm;
• and
• a spraying distance defined between an outlet nozzle and the substrate that is between 200 mm and 2000 mm.