An ion transport membrane system comprising (a) a pressure vessel having
an interior, an exterior, an inlet, and an outlet; (b) a plurality of
planar ion transport membrane modules disposed in the interior of the
pressure vessel and arranged in series, each membrane module comprising
mixed metal oxide ceramic material and having an interior region and an
exterior region, wherein any inlet and any outlet of the pressure vessel
are in flow communication with exterior regions of the membrane modules;
and (c) one or more gas manifolds in flow communication with interior
regions of the membrane modules and with the exterior of the pressure
vessel.The ion transport membrane system may be utilized in a gas
separation device to recover oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas or as
an oxidation reactor to oxidize compounds in a feed gas stream by oxygen
permeated through the mixed metal oxide ceramic material of the membrane
modules.