High performance anode-supported intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) with La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.2O3-δ electrolyte films prepared by electrophoretic deposition

Remarkable power density was obtained for anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) based on La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.2O3-delta (LSGM) electrolyte films, fabricated following an original procedure that allowed avoiding undesired reactions between LSGM and electrode materials. especially Ni. Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) was used for the fabrication of 30 gm-thick electrolyte films. Anode supports were made of La0.4Ce0.6O2-x (LDC). The LSGM powder was deposited by EPD on an LDC green tape-cast membrane added with carbon powder, both as pore former and substrate conductivity booster. A subsequent co-firing step at 1490 degrees C produced dense electrolyte films on porous LDC skeletons. Then, a La0.8Sr0.2Fe0.8Mg0.2O3-delta (LSFC) cathode was applied by slurry-coating and calcined at 1100 degrees C. Finally, the porous LDC layer was impregnated with molten Ni nitrate to obtain, after calcination at 900 degrees C, a composite NiO-LDC anode. Maximum power densities of 780. 450, 275, 175, and 100 mW/cm(2) at 700, 650, 600, 550, and 500 degrees C, respectively, were obtained using H-2 as fuel and air as oxidant, demonstrating the success of the processing strategy. As a comparison, electrolyte-supported SOFCs made of the same materials were tested, showing a maximum power density of 150 mW/cm(2) at 700 degrees C, more than 5 times smaller than the anode-supported counterpart. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.