Anomalous low-temperature sintering of a solid electrolyte thin film of tailor-made nanocrystals on a porous cathode support for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. Issue 11 (1st June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yamamoto, Kazuhiro; Sato, Kazunori; Matsuda, Motohide; Ozawa, Masakuni; Ohara, Satoshi
• Is Part Of: Ceramics international. Volume 47:Issue 11(2021)
• Page Start: 15939
• Page End: 15946
• Publication Date: 2021-06-01
• Subjects: SOFC -- Sintering -- Electrophoretic deposition -- Ceria -- Solid electrolyte; CFL Cathode functional layer -- EPD Electrophoretic deposition -- EPMA-WDX Electron probe micro-analysis-wavelength-dispersive X-ray -- GDC Gd-doped ceria -- SEM Scanning electron microscopy -- SOFC solid oxide fuel cell -- TEM Transmission electron microscopy -- TG-DTA Thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis -- TPB Triple-phase boundary -- XRD X-ray diffraction -- YSZ Yttria-stabilized zirconia; Ceramics -- Periodicals; Céramique industrielle -- Périodiques; Ceramics; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 666
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2021.02.168
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0272-8842

Abstract

Abstract: High Ohmic resistance of the solid electrolyte film is a critical issue of low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) that needs to be addressed. In this study, tailored ceramic Gd-doped ceria (GDC) nanocubes with highly reactive {100} facets were densely integrated on a low-temperature-sinterable (La0.6 Sr0.4 )0.95 Co0.2 Fe0.8 O3-δ (LSCF) cathode support by electrophoretic deposition (EPD). The densely packed GDC nanocube thin film was co-sintered with the cathode support at a significantly lower temperature of 1000 °C, which is 300 °C lower than that required for conventional GDC nanoparticles. The well-sintered dense GDC solid electrolyte thin film formed a 1 μm thick layer on the porous cathode support. The anomalous low-temperature sintering was achieved owing to the good sinterability of the GDC nanocubes, their high-density integration on the LSCF support by EPD, and a remarkable shrinkage of the LSCF support. The deposition of a porous cathode functional layer (CFL) with fine carbon nanoparticles as a pore-forming agent yielded a flat surface. The CFL enabled the integration of GDC nanocubes densely on the LSCF cathode support and remained as a preferable contact interlayer. The GDC nanocube-integrated LSCF cathode support fabricated in this work can be a suitable material for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: GDC nanocube film was densely integrated on a porous LSCF support by EPD. Very fine LSCF nanoparticles were synthesized by a carbonate co-precipitation method. A-site deficiencies in the LSCF support promoted its densification. CuO sintering aid decreased the initial sintering temperature of LSCF to 800 °C. A 1 μm thin GDC solid electrolyte film was fabricated by co-sintering at 1000 °C.