Influence of NaCl on Cathode Performance of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Degradation induced by sodium chloride in air was investigated for (La_0.8Sr_0.2)_0.98MnO₃(LSM) and La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O₃(LSCF) cathodes in solid oxide fuel cells(SOFC). Cell performance was measured by volatilizing NaCl to be supplied to the cathode at a constant current density of 200 mA/cm² for up to 100 h. At 800 ℃, an exposure of the cathode to 30 mg/L NaCl caused negligible degradation of LSM at least for 100 h. Slight change in the composition of the cathode materials was observed which may imply the gradual degradation of cell performance for the long-term. In addition, cell performance degradation was compared between 700 ℃ and 900 ℃, being poisoned by 30 mg/L NaCl. Degradation was negligible for LSM cathode, while LSCF cathode showed slightly poor tolerance at 700 ℃ due to the decomposition of the cathode material. Further studies should be done to clarify the long-term influence of NaCl on cathode performance.