Anodes for Direct Oxidation of Dry Hydrocarbons in a Solid‐Oxide Fuel Cell

The manufacture of fuel cells that can operate directly on various hydrocarbon fuels, without the need for reforming, has the potential of greatly speeding the application of fuel cells for transportation and distributed‐power applications. This paper will briefly review the literature in this area and describe recent developments in solid‐oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) that demonstrate that direct‐oxidation fuel cells are possible with Cu‐based anodes. A new method for synthesizing thin‐electrolyte, anode‐supported cells is described that is based on tape casting with graphite pore formers (see Figure), followed by impregnation with aqueous solutions of Cu(NO₃)₂ and Ce(NO₃)₃. The performance of model SOFCs for direct conversion of n‐butane and methane is shown. Finally, future developments that are needed for this technology to be commercialized are discussed.     

Effect of fuel/oxidizer ratio and the calcination temperature on the preparation of microporous-nanostructured tricobalt tetraoxide

Microporous tricobalt tetraoxide, Co₃O₄, nanoparticles (NPs) clusters have been successfully fabricated using a simple but efficient controlled solution combustion route. Such a synthesis involves combustion reaction of cobalt nitrate with cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The combustion process has been analyzed by simultaneous thermal analysis. The resultant powders were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction technique (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption at −196 °C. The morphology and specific surface area of the obtained Co₃O₄ nanoparticles clusters have proved to be strongly dependent on the fuel (F)/oxidizer (O) molar ratio and the calcination temperature. It was found that both the crystallite size and the lattice parameter nanocrystalline Co₃O₄ increase with increasing the F/O molar ratio as well as the calcination temperature. X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of CoO phase together with spinel Co₃O₄ using F/O ratio of 1. The concentration of such phase increases with increasing the F/O ratio. Moreover, when the calcination is applied at 900–1000 °C traces of CoO was obtained together with Co₃O₄ as a major phase.     

LaxSr2-xFe1.5Ni0.1Mo0.4O6-δ对称电池电解CO2研究

固态氧化物电解池(SOECs)因较高的能量转化效率在电化学还原CO₂, 实现“碳中和”社会方面备受关注。与非对称电池结构相比, 对称SOECs的空气极和燃料极是相同或相近的材料, 可以减少界面种类, 改善电极与电解质的热膨胀匹配性, 简化电池的制备工艺。本研究合成了钙钛矿氧化物La_xSr_2-xFe_1.5Ni_0.1Mo_0.4O_6-δ (L_xSFNM, x=0.1、0.2、0.3、0.4), 作为固体氧化物电解池的对称电极用于评估纯CO₂的电化学还原性能。掺入La³⁺可以有效提高反应催化活性, 其中L_0.3SFNM为电极的电解池表现出最高的电化学性能, 800 ℃下, 在空气中的极化电阻为0.07 Ω∙cm², 在50% CO-50% CO₂中的极化电阻为0.62 Ω∙cm²。单电池L_0.3SFNM@LSGM|LSGM|L_0.3SFNM@LSGM在800 ℃和1.5 V电压下的电解电流密度为1.17 A∙cm^-2, 在初始的50 h CO₂短期电解测试中表现出优异的稳定性, 是一种理想的对称电极材料。     

Freeze casting of porous Ni-YSZ cermets

Dual-phase porous Ni-YSZ cermets were fabricated via the freeze casting of a ceramic/camphene slurry. After removing the frozen camphene via sublimation at room temperature, the green samples were sintered for 3 h in air at various temperatures, ranging from 1100 to 1350 °C, and then reduced in an Ar-5% H₂ atmosphere at 700 °C for 3 h. The fabricated Ni-YSZ cermets showed 3-D pore channels formed by the replication of the entangled camphene dendrite network and small pores in the Ni-YSZ walls produced by partial sintering of the NiO-YSZ composite. Furthermore, the fabricated samples were found to possess reasonable electrical conductivities, thus rendering them suitable for use as the basic components of planar solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).