Effect of SO2 on Performance of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathodes

Effects of SO₂ in ambient air on the performance and durability of solid oxide fuel cell(SOFC) cathode were evaluated by galvanostatic measurement. Comparison between two cathode materials was made to consider the cathode degradation mechanisms. The degradation performance is associated with a slow decomposition of the La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O₃(LSCF) due to the segregation of strontium oxide. Negligible deterioration for (La_0.7Sr_0.3)MnO₃ (LSM) cathode was caused by SO₂ poisoning under a current density of 200 mA/cm². Metal sulphate formation may explain a slight deterioration under increasing high the concentration of SO₂. It was verified that the poisoning mechanism for the two cathode materials resulted from the gradual decomposition of the cathode materials.