Investigation on pumping oxygen characteristics of (Bi2O3)0.73(Y2O3)0.27 solid electrolyte

(Bi2O3)0.73(Y2O3)0.27 fine powders prepared by wet chemical precipitation method were cold isostatically pressed to form solid electrolyte tubes, and sintered at 900 °C for 10 h in the air. Their pumping oxygen characteristics in non-dehydrated Ar gas were investigated, where a ZrO2 (Y2O3 stabilized) oxygen sensor was used to measure the oxygen partial pressure Po2. The results showed that the Po2 value reached magnitudes of 1 × 10−20–1 × 10−10 Pa at the applied pumping oxygen voltage of 0.5 V, 1 × 10−37–1 × 10−27 Pa at 1.0 V and 1 × 10−53–1 × 10−47 Pa at 2.0 V within the temperature range from 550 to 650 °C. Moreover, no cracks were found in the tested solid electrolyte tubes. Thus, the Bi2O3-Y2O3 system might be used in solid electrolyte oxygen pump for purifying gases.