A solid oxide fuel cell with a gadolinia-doped ceria anode: preparation and performance

The application of doped ceria as an anode material in high-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) is described. Deposition of an anchoring layer of YSZ particles was used to obtain sufficient adhesion between a porous Ce0.6Gd0.4O1.8 (CG4) anode and an yrttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte without detrimental reaction. Single SOFCs comprising the CG4 anode, a composite strontium-doped lanthanum manganite-based cathode and the YSZ electrolyte were manufactured and tested in H-2/H2O and CH4/H2O atmospheres vs. air in the temperature range of 800-1015 degrees C, An area specific internal resistance of 0.39 Ohm cm(2) at 0.71 V cell voltage and a power density of 470 mW/cm(2) was obtained at 1000 degrees C using H-2/H2O/N-2 = 9/1.2/89.8 as the fuel and air as oxidant. A current density of 0.25 A/cm(2) at an area specific internal resistance of 2 Ohm cm(2) was obtained with CH4/H2O/N-2 = 33/3/64. No carbon deposition was found on CG4 after cell operation at a steam-to-carbon ratio of 0.3 for 1000 h. Cells sustained several rapid thermal cycles in the temperature interval 200-1000 degrees C and a full redox cycle without degradation. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.