A novel cermet (ceramic/metal composite) hydrogen transport membrane (HTM) was characterized for its physical and mechanical properties at both room temperature and at elevated temperature of 850 degrees C. The density of the HTM cermet was measured as 8.9 g/cm(3) at ambient temperature with dynamic Young's modulus of 145.5 GPa and the dynamic shear modulus (G-value) of 54.29 GPa, whereas the Poisson's ratio (t) is calculated to be 0.34. Vickers hardness numbers for the as-received HTM cermet are constant and in the range of 2.0-2.2 GPa, with the change of loading force from 100 to 1000 g. The flexural strength (rfs) of the HTM cermet is about 356 MPa at room temperature and decreases to 284 MPa at the elevated temperature of 850 degrees C in both air and nitrogen. A difference in testing atmosphere (air or N-2) had insignificant effect on the load-displacement curves during the flexural strength test at the elevated temperature of 850 degrees C. From the load-displacement curves, HTM cermet behaves much more like elastic material at room temperature; with the temperature increased to 850 degrees C, its behaviour is much more like a metallic material with fractures preceded by plastic deformation. The initial yielding strength of HTM could be mainly controlled by the yield strength of the soft Pd metal material, and the zirconia fractures before yielding in Pd at room temperature, whereas at 850 degrees C, the yield stress of the Pd drops dramatically and allows it to work and harden in the constraint of a rigid ceramic. The final failure load is mainly dictated by ceramic fracture, while the initial yielding stress is determined on the yield strength of the soft Pd metal at both room temperature and the elevated temperature of 850 degrees C.