Method of making a supported plurality of electrochemical extruded membranes

Abstract

The present invention is a method for the manufature of a membrane structure for use in electrochemical conversions. The method includes providing a first mixture at a first temperature and a second mixture at a second temperature, extruding the first mixture to form a plurality of spaced-apart supportable membranes, cooling the extruded membrane from the first temperature to a third temperature, forming sufficient bubble surfaces of the second mixture between the membranes to facilitate the support of the membranes, cooling the extruded membranes and the formed bubble surfaces to a semi-solid from the second temperature to the third temperature less than the first and second temperatures, heating the cooled extruded membranes and the cooled formed bubble surfaces from the semi-solid at the third temperature to a predetermined elevated temperature sufficient to make the extruded membranes and the formed bubble surfaces into a sintered ceramic, and sufficiently cooling the extruded membranes and the formed bubble surfaces in the sintered ceramic to cause the bubbles to support the membranes.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.