Fabrication and Characterization of Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 Microtubular Dual-Structured Electrolyte Membranes for Application in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology |
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| Authors: | Naitao Yang Xiaoyao Tan Zifeng Ma Alan Thursfield |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China;
School of Chemical Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255049, China;
School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K. |
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| Abstract: | Samaria-doped ceria (SDC, Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9) ceramic powders of submicrometer size were synthesized by a sol–gel auto-combustion method. From these powders microtubes with a dual structure comprising of a dense layer and a porous substrate layer were fabricated in a single step through a phase inversion/sintering technique. A sintering temperature in excess of 1450°C is required for SDC to achieve gastight microtubes. The mechanical strength of the SDC microtubes increases with increasing sintering temperature and may attain up to 208 MPa when sintered at 1500°C. Electrical impedance spectroscopy studies indicate that the SDC microtubes have electrical conductivities of 4.46 × 10?4–0.072 S/cm and corresponding activation energy of 81.9 kJ/mol at temperatures between 400° and 800°C. Full fuel cells were fabricated by coating Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3?δ (BSCF) on to the inner surface and a Ni-SDC cermet on to the outer surface of the gastight microtubes to act as the cathode and the anode, respectively. The resultant BSCF|SDC|Ni-SDC microcells have a stable output maximum of 106 mW/cm2 at 750°C when hydrogen and air were used as fuel and oxidant gas, respectively. |
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