Mixed conducting perovskite oxide SrCo0.9Ta0.1O3−δ was synthesized by solid-state reaction method. The activation in the initial stage of oxygen permeation through the SrCo0.9Ta0.1O3−δ membrane was investigated. The results show that the activation in the initial stage of oxygen permeation has activate-memory, the first activation can only help to reduce active time of the next cycles, but it was helpless to increase the final oxygen permeation flux. X-ray diffraction characterization shows that the imperfect perovskite phase structure was gradually improved and the crystal lattice has made some self-adjustment under the permeation conditions, therefore, the oxygen permeation flux of SrCo0.9Ta0.1O3−δ disk membrane increases gradually and till it reaches a steady state.

Activation in the Initial Stage of Oxygen Permeation in SrCo0.9Ta0.1O3-δ. Y.Y.Wei, L.Y.Zhou, J.Tang, Z.Li, H.H.Wang: Chinese Chemical Letters, 2012, 23[1], 113-6