Tubular ceramic-carbonate dual-phase membranes and methods of manufacture thereof

1. A tubular dual-phase membrane comprising:

a tubular-shaped body comprising:

an outer support layer comprising a first ceramic material that is non-wettable with carbonate;

a thin inner layer bonded to the outer support layer made from a second ceramic material that is wettable with carbonate, wherein the second ceramic material is bonded to the carbonate; and

a channel defined by the thin inner layer, wherein the channel is in communication with a proximal opening at a first end of the tubular body and a distal opening at a second end of the tubular body.

2. The tubular dual-phase membrane of claim 1 , wherein the second ceramic material comprises a solid oxide electrolyte.

3. The tubular dual-phase membrane of claim 2 , wherein the solid oxide electrolyte comprises samaria doped ceria (SDC).

4. The tubular dual-phase membrane of claim 1 , wherein the first ceramic material comprises at least one of samaria doped ceria (SDC) and bismuth-yttria-samaria (BYS).

5. The tubular dual-phase membrane of claim 1 , wherein the outer support layer has a thickness in a range of between 1 mm to 3 mm.

6. The tubular dual-phase membrane of claim 1 , wherein the thin inner layer has a thickness in a range of between 1 to 150 μm.

7. A tubular dual-phase membrane comprising:

a tubular-shaped body comprising:

a solid porous ceramic phase made from a material that is non-wettable with carbonate and serves as an oxygen ion conductor;

a molten carbonate phase made from a material that comprises carbonate; and

a channel defined by the molten carbonate phase, wherein the channel is in communication with a proximal opening at a first end of the tubular-shaped body and a distal opening at a second end of the tubular-shaped body.

8. The tubular dual-phase membrane of claim 7 , wherein the molten carbonate phase comprises a ceramic that is wettable with carbonate.

9. The tubular dual-phase membrane of claim 7 , wherein the solid porous ceramic phase forms an outer support layer and the molten carbonate phase forms an inner layer of the tubular-shaped body.

10. A method for manufacturing a tubular dual-phase membrane comprising:

spinning a first suspension in a centrifuge, wherein the first suspension comprises bismuth-yttria-samaria (BYS) poured into a container, wherein the BYS forms an outer layer after being spun in the centrifuge;

spinning a second suspension in a centrifuge, wherein the second suspension comprises samaria doped ceria (SDC), wherein the SDC forms an inner layer that bonds with the outer layer to form a substantially tubular-shaped body after being spun in the centrifuge;

removing the substantially tubular-shaped body from the container; and

immersing the substantially tubular-shaped body in molten carbonite,

wherein the molten carbonate is wettable with the inner layer and non-wettable with the outer layer such that the molten carbonate bonds with the inner layer.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

sintering the substantially tubular-shaped body after the substantially tubular-shaped body is immersed in molten carbonate.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

removing a liquid solvent after the step of spinning the first suspension in the centrifuge.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first suspension and the second suspension are spun in the centrifuge at substantially 4,000 rpm.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the outer layer defines a channel after the first suspension is spun in the centrifuge.

15. The tubular dual-phase membrane of claim 1 , wherein the first ceramic material comprises 55 wt % samaria doped ceria (SDC) and 45 wt % bismuth-yttria-samaria (BYS).