To provide an oxygen pump which works at normal temperatures and normal pressures, can easily output a high oxygen-carrying capacity, and does not cause a problem of an accident such as the leakage of an electrolyte.
The oxygen pump has a porous separator 1 which is impregnated with a neutral to acidic aqueous solution containing bivalent nickel ions and is sandwiched between a porous gas-exchangeable negative electrode 3 and a porous gas-exchangeable positive electrode 2; supplies an electric power to both electrodes 2 and 3 from an external direct-current power source through a current collection structure; and moves oxygen from a negative electrode side of gas phases in both electrode sides, which are separated from each other, to the positive electrode side. The oxygen pump is free from the cares about the electrolyte leakage or the like because of using a water-based solvent which works at normal temperatures and normal pressures, and making the porous separator impregnated with and retaining an extremely small amount of the electrolyte; also has a thin and soft structure; and can increase the oxygen-carrying capacity by increasing the area.
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Hiroki Naito
Daisuke Nagano