Premium
Fabrication and Characterization of Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 1.9 Microtubular Dual‐Structured Electrolyte Membranes for Application in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology
Author(s) -
Yang Naitao,
Tan Xiaoyao,
Ma Zifeng,
Thursfield Alan
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2009.03267.x
Subject(s) - materials science , sintering , cermet , solid oxide fuel cell , chemical engineering , ceramic , electrolyte , anode , cathode , fabrication , oxide , analytical chemistry (journal) , composite material , metallurgy , electrode , medicine , chemistry , alternative medicine , pathology , chromatography , engineering
Samaria‐doped ceria (SDC, Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 1.9 ) ceramic powders of submicrometer size were synthesized by a sol–gel auto‐combustion method. From these powders microtubes with a dual structure comprising of a dense layer and a porous substrate layer were fabricated in a single step through a phase inversion/sintering technique. A sintering temperature in excess of 1450°C is required for SDC to achieve gastight microtubes. The mechanical strength of the SDC microtubes increases with increasing sintering temperature and may attain up to 208 MPa when sintered at 1500°C. Electrical impedance spectroscopy studies indicate that the SDC microtubes have electrical conductivities of 4.46 × 10 −4 –0.072 S/cm and corresponding activation energy of 81.9 kJ/mol at temperatures between 400° and 800°C. Full fuel cells were fabricated by coating Ba 0.5 Sr 0.5 Co 0.8 Fe 0.2 O 3−δ (BSCF) on to the inner surface and a Ni‐SDC cermet on to the outer surface of the gastight microtubes to act as the cathode and the anode, respectively. The resultant BSCF|SDC|Ni‐SDC microcells have a stable output maximum of 106 mW/cm 2 at 750°C when hydrogen and air were used as fuel and oxidant gas, respectively.