Highly asymmetric yttria stabilized zirconia hollow fibre membranes

Abstract Highly asymmetric yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) hollow fibre membranes were fabricated by a modified phase inversion and sintering technique using a mixture of NMP and water as internal coagulant. The obtained YSZ hollow fibres possess a thin dense outer skin layer of thickness 3–5 μm and a thicker porous sub-layer with a surface porosity of 28.8%. The crystal phase of the YSZ hollow fibres retains the same cubic fluorite structure as the original YSZ powders after the spinning and sintering process. The thin dense skin layer is integrated perfectly with the porous layer and is especially suitable for use as an electrolyte film in micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells (MT-SOFCs).