Structural, microstructural, thermal, and electrical properties of Ni/YSZ cermet materials

Ceramic?Cmetal composites (cermets) containing 4?mol% yttria-zirconia (4YSZ) and Ni particles as anode materials in solid oxide fuel cells were prepared by two methods. The first method involves nickel oxalate dihydrate precipitation on the 4YSZ powder and decomposition at 360?°C in inert Ar atmosphere. The second method consists of impregnation of the 4YSZ pellets with an aqueous solution of nickel nitrate. The temperature of oxalate decomposition was determined on the basis of TG/DTA experiments. Gaseous products of decomposition were analyzed by mass spectrometry. The structure of the materials was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, porosity studies, and particle size measurements. The thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) was determined by dilathometric method. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to determine the electrical conductivity. Thus, determined TECs, porosity, and electrical properties were found suitable for anode materials of fuel cells.     

Thermal diffusivity measurement of ceramic materials used in spraying of TBC systems

The basic goal of this article was thermal diffusivity characterization of ceramic materials used in thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems for depositions of the insulation layer and characterization of the materials’ morphology and remanufacturing process. The base material was oxide 8YSZ (ZrO_2? ×?8Y₂O₃), which is usually dedicated to deposition of an insulating top layer in TBC systems. The data related to thermal properties such as thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity are widely presented in the literature, but there is lack of information about the morphological form of investigated materials, and the presented results vary widely. Data on thermal properties based on the literature sources are inadequate for the real morphological form of materials used in the experiment (e.g., massive or single crystalline material vs. plasma-sprayed coatings), which consequently gives an unsatisfactory accuracy of the obtained numerical simulations by MES methods. This article presents the characterization of thermal diffusivity of the commercial 8YSZ ceramic material synthesized or remanufactured by different routes, which is investigated in the forms of pressed powder pellet (two commercial nano-sized powders with different morphologies), sintered pellets (one commercial powder, solid-state co-precipitated reacted powder of 8YSZ type), and a two-layered coating system of In625?+?NiCrAlY/8YSZ type. The range of analysis included morphological investigations of different types of powders in initial conditions and after remanufacturing (sintering, thermal spraying) as well as the thermal diffusivity analysis by the laser flash method. The obtained data were corrected by porosity factor and compared to each other. The best similarity for obtained thermal diffusivity data was found for commercial powers of HOSP^TM type after pressing and sintering processes and calculated (2-layered model) value of thermal diffusivity for two-layered system of In625/8YSZ TBS system. The results showed that there are significant differences in thermal diffusivity values for materials with different morphological forms.

     

Performance studies of electrolyte-supported solid oxide fuel cell with Ni–YSZ and Ni–TiO2–YSZ as anodes

Redox cycling of Ni-based anode induces cell degradation which limits the cell's lifetime during solid oxide fuel cell operation. In the present study, the redox testing of electrolyte-supported cells has been investigated with TiO₂-added NiO–YSZ anode matrix. Button cells were fabricated by die-pressing YSZ powder as electrolyte, and onto which NiO–YSZ or NiO–TiO₂–YSZ anode and LSM–YSZ composite cathode were painted. The electrochemical performance and stability have been evaluated by measuring current–voltage characteristics followed by impedance spectroscopy after each redox cycling. Anode matrices before and after cell operation have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), elemental dispersive X-ray (EDX), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). During cell operation the peak power density decreases from 111 mW cm^?2 (239 mA cm^?2) to 84 mW cm^?2 (188 mA cm^?2) between 23 and 128 h with five redox cycles for cell having NiO–YSZ (40:60) anode. But for cell with NiO–TiO₂–YSZ (30:10:60), the anode peak power density was constant and stable around 85 mW cm^?2 (194 mA cm^?2) throughout the cell run of 130 h and five redox cycles. No loss in the open circuit voltage was observed. SEM and XRD studies of NiO–TiO₂–YSZ (30:10:60) anodes revealed formation of ZrTiO₄, which may be responsible for inhibition of Ni coarsening leading to stable cell performance.     

High temperature thermo-photocatalysis driven carbon removal in direct biogas fueled solid oxide fuel cells

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) can directly convert renewable biogas into electricity with high efficiency at high temperature, however the long-term stability of SOFCs is significantly affected by the carbon deposition on the anode during cell operation. Herein, we report a novel carbon removal approach by high temperature infrared light driven photocatalytic oxidation. Upon the comparison of electrochemical performance of Ni-YSZ anode and TiO₂ modified Ni-YSZ anode in the state-of-the-art single cell (Ni-YSZ/YSZ/LSCM), the modified anodes exhibit markedly improved peak powder density with simulated biogas fuel (70% CH₄+ 30% CO₂) at 850 °C with less coking after 40 h operation. The high activity and carbon deposition resistance of the modified anode is possibly attributed to the in situ generated hydroxyl radical from the reduced TiO_x powder under high temperature infrared light excitation, which is supported by detailed analysis of microstructural information of anodes and the powder-based thermo-photocatalytic experiments.     

Magnetron formation of Ni/YSZ anodes of solid oxide fuel cells

Physico-chemical and structural properties of nanocomposite NiO/ZrO₂:Y₂O₃ (NiO/YSZ) films applied using the reactive magnetron deposition technique are studied for application as anodes of solid oxide fuel cells. The effect of oxygen consumption and magnetron power on the discharge parameters is determined to find the optimum conditions of reactive deposition. The conditions for deposition of NiO/YSZ films, under which the deposition rate is maximum (12 μm/h), are found and the volume content of Ni is within the range of 40–50%. Ni-YSZ films reduced in a hydrogen atmosphere at the temperature of 800°C have a nanoporous structure. However, massive nickel agglomerates are formed in the course of reduction on the film surface; their amount grows at an increase in Ni content in the film. Solid oxide fuel cells with YSZ supporting electrolyte and a LaSrMnO₃ cathode are manufactured to study electrochemical properties of NiO/YSZ films. It is shown that fuel cells with a nanocomposite NiO/YSZ anode applied using a magnetron sputtering technique have the maximum power density twice higher than in the case of fuel cells with an anode formed using the high-temperature sintering technique owing to a more developed gas-anode-electrolyte three-phase boundary.     

Redox Behavior and Transport Properties of Composites Based on (Fe,Ni)<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4 ± δ</Subscript> for Anodes of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

The Fe–Ni–O system designed for producing bimetal-containing composite anodes of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) was studied. The solubility of nickel in the structure of spinel (Fe,Ni)₃O_{4 ± δ} at atmospheric oxygen pressure is ~1/3. Moderate reduction at 1023 K and p(O₂) ≈ 10^–20 atm leads to partial decomposition of spinels, forming an electron-conducting phase (Fe,Ni)_1–yO and submicron bimetallic Fe–Ni particles on the oxide surface, which have potentially high catalytic activity. The electron conductivity has a thermally activated character and increases substantially during the reduction. In the anode conditions of SOFCs, the electric conductivity reaches 30–100 S/cm, while the thermal expansion coefficients are ~12 × 10^–6 K^–1, which ensures compatibility with solid electrolytes. At the same time, significant volume changes during the redox cycling (up to ~1% on the linear scale) necessitate the introduction of additional components such as yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The polarization resistance of the model composite anode of reduced Fe₂NiO_{4 ± δ} and YSZ deposited on the YSZ solid electrolyte membrane was ~1.8 Ohm cm² at 923 K in a 4% H_2–Ar–H₂O atmosphere.     

Aqueous electrophoretic deposition of YSZ electrolyte layers for solid oxide fuel cells

A 6-μm-thick, dense, and uniform yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin-film electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cell was able to be formed, via aqueous electrophoretic deposition, onto a porous Ni-YSZ cermet anode, which was made via attrition mill, pressure casting, and pressureless sintering. Nonconductive yet suitably porous substrates could be used for electrophoretic deposition, with the help of an auxiliary electrode. Ni/YSZ cermet presintered at 1,200 °C and reduced at 700 °C, on the other hand, behaved like a metal electrode and required no more the use of such an auxiliary electrode. It was also found that the deposition rate increased with increasing current density and with decreasing NH₄-polyacrylate concentration.     

Effect of the Copper Oxide Sintering Additive on the Electrical and Electrochemical Properties of Anode Materials Based on Sr<Subscript>2</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>1.5</Subscript>Mo<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>O<Subscript>6–δ</Subscript>

The effect of introducing 1–3 wt % copper oxide sintering additive on the electrical and electrochemical characteristics of promising anode materials for solid oxide fuel cells based on Sr₂Fe_1.5Mo_0.5O_6–δ was studied. The total conductivity increases with increasing amount of copper oxide. The maximum conductivity in humid hydrogen at 800°C, 45 S cm^–1, was reached on introducing 3 wt % CuO. The sintering additive enhances the electrochemical activity of Sr₂Fe_1.5Mo_0.5O_6–δ and Sr₂Fe_1.5Mo_0.5O_6–δCe_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9 anodes. A decrease in the sintering temperature of the anodes containing CuO with the electrolyte based on lanthanum gallate directly correlates with the electrochemical activity of the anodes. The minimum value of the polarization resistivity, 0.15 Ω cm² at 800°С in a humid hydrogen atmosphere, was obtained for the composite anode with 3 wt % CuO sintered at a temperature of 1050°С.     

A novel multistep dip-coating method for the fabrication of anode-supported microtubular solid oxide fuel cells

A novel multistep dip-coating method was developed and successfully applied to the fabrication of anode-supported microtubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) using carbon rods as combustible cores. The fabricated microtubular SOFCs consisted of Ni-yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), YSZ, strontium-doped lanthanum manganite (LSM)–YSZ, and LSM as the anode, electrolyte, cathode, and cathode current collector materials, respectively. To investigate the role of anode porosity on cell performance, two types of anode supports were prepared: one without a pore former and the other with a 10 wt.% graphite pore former. The microstructural features of the microtubular SOFCs were examined using scanning electron microscope images whereas the electrochemical performance was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements as well as I–V characteristic curves. The results showed that the method used is a simple and low-cost alternative to conventional methods for the fabrication of microtubular SOFCs. We found that the anode porosity played an important role in improving the overall performance of the microtubular SOFC by reducing the concentration polarization.     

Influence of Calcination on the Properties of Nickel Oxide-Samarium Doped Ceria Carbonate (NiO-SDCC) Composite Anodes

Apart from its composition, the starting powder properties such as particle size potentially affect the triple phase boundary and the electrochemical performance. Calcination process has been identified as one of the factors that influence the particle size of the composite anode powders. This study investigates the correlation between calcination temperature and properties (i.e., chemical, physical, and thermal) of NiO–samarium-doped ceria carbonate (SDCC) composite anodes. NiO–SDCC composite anode powder was prepared with NiO and SDCC through high-energy ball milling. The resultant composite powder was subjected to calcination at various temperatures ranging from 600 °C to 800 °C. Characterizations of the composite anode were performed through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dilatometry, and porosity measurements. The composite anodes exhibited good chemical compatibility during XRD after calcination and sintering. The FTIR result verified the existence of carbonates in all the composite anodes. The increment in calcination temperature from 600 °C to 800 °C resulted in the growth of nanoscale particles, as evidenced by the FESEM micrographs and crystallite size. Nonetheless, the porosity obtained remained within the acceptable range for a good anodic reaction (20% to 40%). The TGA results showed gradual mass loss in the range of 400 °C to 600 °C (within the low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell region). The composite anodes calcined at 600 °C and 700 °C revealed a good thermal expansion coefficient that matches that of the SDCC electrolyte.     

Synthesis and characterization of PrBaCo2 − x Ni x O5 + δ cathodes for intermediate temperature SOFCs

Nickel-substituted layered perovskite PrBaCo_{2 ? x} Ni _x O_{5 + δ} (PBCN) powders with various proportions of nickel (x?=?0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3, abbreviated as PBCN-0, PBCN-1, PBCN-2, and PBCN-3, respectively) are investigated as potential cathode materials for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) based on the yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte. It is found that PBCN-1 has the highest electrical conductivity of 1,397 S cm^?1 at 400 °C. Substitution of Co by Ni decreases the thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) clearly. The average TEC at the temperature range of 35–900 °C decreases from 22.8?×?10^?6 K^?1 for PBCN-0 to 18.9?×?10^?6 K^?1 for PBCN-3. The polarization resistances of PBCN samples on YSZ electrolyte at 800 °C are 0.053, 0.048, 0.052, and 0.042 Ω cm² for PBCN-0, PBCN-1, PBCN-2, and PBCN-3, respectively. The single fuel cell with the configuration of PBCN-3/YSZ/Pt delivers the highest power densities of 100, 185, 360, 495, and 660 mW cm^?2 at 600, 650, 700, 750, and 800 °C, respectively.     

Anode-supported planar SOFC with high performance and redox stability

Solid oxide fuel cells with full ceramic anodes have recently attracted increasing attention, because the conventional Ni/YSZ cermet anodes may fail during practical operation due to their weak mechanical stability in the case of re-oxidation of the nickel. However, until now the reported fuel cells based on ceramic anodes have been fabricated only as small pellet-sized cells and electrochemical performance has been barely satisfactory, making it difficult to evaluate these attempts with respect to commercial feasibility. Herein, we report single cells based on Y-substituted SrTiO₃ anode substrates. These planar cells have outer dimensions of 50 × 50 mm², which has not been reached for a ceramic anode-supported cell before. They show power densities of 0.7–1.0 W cm^? 2 at 0.7 V and 800 °C, which are sufficient for technical applications. The cells survived 200 anode-gas changes between fuel and air (redox cycles), providing a new direction for the development and commercialisation of anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells.     

Cellulose-precursor synthesis of nanocrystalline Ce<Subscript>0.8</Subscript>Gd<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2−δ</Subscript> for SOFC anodes

Developments of intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT SOFCs) require novel anode materials with a high electrochemical activity at 800–1070 K. The polarization of cermet anodes, made of nickel, ceria and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and applied onto a YSZ solid electrolyte, can be significantly reduced by catalytically active ceria additions, the relative role of which increases with decreasing temperature. Further improvement is observed when using Ce_0.8Gd_0.2O_2– (CGO) having a high oxygen ionic conductivity instead of undoped ceria, owing to enlargement of the electrochemical reaction zone. Nanocrystalline CGO powders with grain sizes of 8–35 nm were thus synthesized via the cellulose-precursor technique and introduced into Ni–CGO–YSZ cermets, and tested in contact with a (La_0.9Sr_0.1)_0.98Ga_0.8Mg_0.2O_3– (LSGM) electrolyte at 873–1073 K. The results showed that the anode performance can be enhanced by additional surface activation, in particular by impregnation with a Ce-containing solution, and also by incorporation of YSZ, which probably acts as a cermet-stabilizing component. The overpotential of the surface-modified Ni–CGO (25 wt%–75 wt%) anode in a 10% H₂/90% N₂ atmosphere was approximately 110 mV at 1073 K with a current density of 200 mA/cm².Presented at the OSSEP Workshop Ionic and Mixed Conductors: Methods and Processes, Aveiro, Portugal, 10–12 April 2003     

复合阳极共烧制备致密La0.7Ca0.3Cr0.97O3-δ连接体薄膜的研究

固体氧化物燃料电池(SOFC)陶瓷连接材料的低成本薄膜化制备是现在公认的技术难题。为了改善传统NiO/YSZ阳极与LaCrO3基连接材料的共烧匹配性能,将化学性质稳定的Y0.7Ca0.3Cr0.9Zn0.1O3-δ(YCCZ)连接材料创造性地引入到NiO/YSZ阳极中,制备NiO/YSZ/YCCZ(6∶4∶2,m/m/m)三相复合阳极,并进行烧结特性、微观结构、电导率、热膨胀系数等系列性能的对比测试,结果表明NiO/YSZ/YCCZ新型复合阳极具有优良的综合性能。以NiO/YSZ/YCCZ为支撑体,采用浆料浸渍法制备湿膜,1 400℃空气条件下共烧,成功制备致密La0.7Ca0.3Cr0.97O3-δ连接体薄膜。     

Improvement of the stability of NiO–YSZ anode material for solid oxide fuel cell

Improvement of long-term stability of 40vol.%NiO–60vol.% yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) anode material in reducing atmosphere and under exposure to thermal shock through the modification of vacancy concentration and pore shape has been investigated for a solid oxide fuel cell. We varied the amount of Y₂O₃ additives from 8 to 10 mol% in YSZ and the type of carbon pore former, from plated activated carbon to spherical carbon black, to improve the strength and the stability of porous NiO–YSZ anode materials. Modifications by varying the amount of Y₂O₃ additives and carbon pore former result in a highly stable anode, even upon exposure to a reducing atmosphere for 1,200 h. In particular, the strengths of the new anode materials are markedly improved at the same porosity level. Higher strengths do not degrade during a longtime durability test in a reducing atmosphere or upon thermal shock testing. The relatively smaller degradation of electrical conductivity of the new anode material is discussed in terms of the possibility of suppression of the disconnectivity of Ni phases during operation of a solid oxide fuel cell.     

Fabrication and performance test of solid oxide fuel cells with screen-printed yttria-stabilized zirconia electrolyte membranes

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) membranes were deposited onto porous NiO–YSZ anode supports by screen printing. Combined with La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃–YSZ composite cathode, the prepared anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) were electrochemically tested. A typical SOFC with a 30-μm-thick YSZ electrolyte membrane gave the maximum power densities (MPDs) of 0.26, 0.53, 0.78, and 1.03 W/cm² at 650, 700, 800, and 850 °C, respectively, using hydrogen as fuel and stationary air as oxidant. Replacement of stationary air with pure oxygen flow exerted a significant positive effect on the MPDs of the cell. Using 100- and 200-ml/min oxygen as oxidants, the MPDs of the cell were enhanced 35.3% and 68.6%, respectively. Polarization analysis indicated that, at the MPD points, the electrode polarization resistances accounted for 80% of the cell total resistances.

     

Optimization of the electrochemical performance of a Ni/Ce0.9Gd0.1O2−δ-impregnated La0.57Sr0.15TiO3 anode in hydrogen

A-site deficient perovskite La_0.57Sr_0.15TiO₃ (LSTO) materials are synthesized by a modified polyacrylamide gel route. X-ray diffraction pattern of LSTO indicates an orthorhombic structure. The thermal expansion coefficient of LSTO is 10.0 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ at 600 °C in 5%H₂/Ar. LSTO shows an electrical conductivity of 2 S cm⁻¹ at 600 °C in 3%H₂O/H₂. A new composite material, containing the porous LSTO backbone impregnated with small amounts of Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O_2−δ (CGO) (3.4–8.3 wt.%) and Ni/Cu (2.0–6.3 wt.%), is investigated as an alternative anode for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Because of the substantial electro-catalytic activity of the fine and well-dispersed Ni particles on the surface of the ceramic framework, the polarization resistance of 6.3%Ni-8.3%CGO-LSTO anode reaches 0.73 Ω cm² at 800 °C in 3%H₂O/H₂. In order to further improve the anodic performance, corn starch and carbon black are used as pore-formers to optimize the microstructure of anodes.     

Reduction kinetics of NiO–YSZ composite for application in solid oxide fuel cell

A porous nickel–8 mol% yttria stabilized zirconia (Ni–8YSZ) composite, used as anode for solid oxide fuel cell, was obtained by reduction of NiO–8YSZ cermet. The first goal was the evaluation of the temperature effect of powder processing by thermogravimetry. In addition, the influence of porosity in the reduction kinetic of the sample sintered at 1450 °C was evaluated. The final porosity produced in NiO–8YSZ composite by pore former was 30.4 and 37.9 vol.%, respectively, for 10 and 15 mass% of corn starch. The sample with 15 mass% of corn starch promotes a reduction rate almost twice higher than sample with 10 mass% of corn starch. The porosity introduced by the reduction of NiO was 23 vol.%.     

Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9的尿素燃烧法合成与性能

采用以尿素为燃料的燃烧合成法制备Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9(SDC)氧离子导体材料, 对燃烧合成粉体的物相和显微形态进行了表征, 并研究了燃烧法合成SDC的烧结性能以及烧结体的导电性能. 研究结果表明, 采用尿素燃烧法合成SDC具有简便高效和合成粉体烧结活性高的优点. 经过燃烧过程后即可得到立方萤石结构的纯相SDC粉体, 合成粉体的分散性良好, 为50~150 nm的球形颗粒, 具有高的烧结活性, 在1250 ℃的烧结温度下, 陶瓷样品的相对密度可达到95.1%. 在600和800 ℃的测试温度下, 烧结温度为1250 ℃的陶瓷样品的电导率分别达到5.4×10-2和1.0×10-1 Ω-1·cm-1.     

NiO晶粒尺寸对SOFC阳极电化学性能的影响

用溶胶凝胶法合成了具有高比表面积的纳米粒子NiO,用固相合成法制备了NiO-YSZ复合材料.阻抗谱测试表明,含纳米尺寸NiO的复合材料的极化电阻更小,电导率更高.以质量分数为55%的NiO-YSZ为阳极材料,并将其封接成单电池.结果表明,含纳米尺寸NiO的复合阳极制成的单电池,其输出功率更高,短路电流更大.通过减小NiO晶粒尺寸,可增大阳极三相反应界面长度,并获得性能优良的阳极材料.