Mixed conductive electrode materials for sensors and SOFC

Abstract

Modified active electrode materials based upon rare earth manganites were developed for different solid electrolyte electrochemical cells. The preparation, structure, thermal expansion, the state of oxygen on the surface, the electronic and ionic conductivity of the perovskites Ln_1−xCa(Sr)_xMn_1−y(Co, Ni)_yO_3−δ with various compositions and electrode kinetics on the manganite electrode/solid electrolyte interfaces were investigated. The value of the bulk conductivity was larger than 150 S/cm (at 1100 K) and increased significantly with increasing contents of Ni or Co. The thermal expansion coefficients of rare earth manganites were close to those of ZrO₂ based solid electrolytes. The expansion coefficients of Co or Ni subsituted lanthanum manganites increase with Co or Ni substitution and are over 12•10⁻⁶K⁻¹. The ionic conductivities were determined using encapsulated zirconia microelectrodes based on a Hebb-Wagner analysis of the currentvoltage curves. The relatively high oxide ion conductivity of 10⁻⁵ S/cm at 900...1000 K was found by Ni or Co doped manganites. Studies of the electrode kinetics using complex impedance spectroscopy show that Co and Ni doped manganites have advantages if used as electrodes as compared with these for noble metals.