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Electrochemical performance and microstructure characterization of nickel yttrium‐stabilized zirconia anode
Author(s) -
Liu Jingbo,
Birss Viola,
Hill Josephine
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.12080
Subject(s) - anode , yttria stabilized zirconia , yttrium , materials science , cubic zirconia , nickel , electrochemistry , chemical engineering , oxide , microstructure , scanning electron microscope , carbonization , methane , solid oxide fuel cell , inorganic chemistry , metallurgy , electrode , ceramic , composite material , chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering
A nickel and yttrium‐stabilized zirconia (Ni‐YSZ) composite is one of the most commonly used anode materials in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). One of the drawbacks of the Ni‐YSZ anode is its susceptibility to deactivation due to the formation of carbonaceous species when hydrocarbons are used as fuel supplies. We therefore initiated an electrochemical study of the influence of methane (CH 4 ) on the performance of Ni‐YSZ anodes by examining the kinetics of the oxidation of CH 4 and H 2 over operating temperatures of 600–800°C. Anode performance deterioration was then correlated with the degree of carbonization observed on the anode using ex‐situ X‐ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Results showed that carbonaceous species led to a significant deactivation of Ni‐YSZ anode toward methane oxidation. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010