The perovskite-type oxygen separation membranes BaCo0.7Fe0.2Nb0.1O3-delta (BCFN) combined with Ce 0.8Re0.2O2-delta (Re = Sm, Gd) surface modification layers was investigated for hydrogen production by partial oxidation reforming of coke oven gas (COG). The Ce0.8Re0.2 O2-delta materials improve the oxygen permeation flux of the BCFN membrane by 8-31% under the COG atmosphere at 875 C. The high oxygen permeation flux achieved using the Ce0.8Gd0.2O2-delta surface-coating layer in this work is quite encouraging with a maximum value reaching 21.9 ml min(-1) cm(-2) at 900 degrees C. Characterization of the membrane surfaces by SEM and XRD after 100 h long life test show that the Ce0.8Gd0.2O2-delta surface-coating layer on the permeation side can dramatically withstand corrosion of the hash strong reductive working conditions, which will be promising surface modification material in the catalytic partial oxidation reforming of COG using oxygen-permeable ceramics. (C) 2010 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.