Rare Earth Tungstate: One Competitive Proton Conducting Material Used for Hydrogen Separation: A Review

Membrane technology is an advanced hydrogen separation method that is of great significance in achieving hydrogen economy. Rare earth tungstate membranes have both high hydrogen permeability and remarkable mechanical/chemical stability, exhibiting good application prospects in hydrogen separation. This review provides the basic aspects and research progress on rare earth tungstate hydrogen separation membranes. The crystal structure, proton transport properties, and membrane stability under a chemical atmosphere are introduced. Different membrane construction designs, such as single-phase, dual-phase, and asymmetric rare earth tungstate membranes, are summarized. Lastly, the existing problems and development suggestions for tungstate membranes are discussed.