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Morphology and electrochemical activity of SOFC composite cathodes: I. experimental analysis

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Abstract

This paper describes the first part of an experimental and theoretical study performed on composite Lanthanum Strontium Manganite (LSM) and Yttria-stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) electrodes. Cathode electrocatalytic activity was investigated using different cell configurations and carrying out potentiodynamic polarisation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements (EIS). Measurements were carried out at different oxygen partial pressures, overpotentials, temperatures and electrode geometries. In order to identify the main steps involved in cathodic oxygen reduction, the NLLS-Fit procedure was used. The results for different cell geometries agree with each other, suggesting a transition in the overall reaction mechanism, from charge transfer to mass transfer control, at a critical temperature of about 750 °C. The experimental results also show a remarkable effect of electrode thickness on the overall reaction rate, throughout the temperature range tested. A grey level gradient along the thickness of the thicker electrodes were detected by analyzing microscopic images of the cells. These results, together with electrochemical measurements on cathodes with different thickness, confirm that morphology plays a key role in determining the performance of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) composite cathodes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Italian project “FISR: Nanosistemi Inorganici ed Ibridi per lo Sviluppo e l’Innovazione di Celle a Combustibile”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Genoa, P.le J.F. Kennedy 1, 16129, Genoa, Italy

    Antonio Barbucci & M. Paola Carpanese

  2. Interuniversity Consortium on Materials Science and Technology, Via G. Giusti 9, 50121, Florence, Italy

    Antonio Barbucci, M. Paola Carpanese & Massimo Viviani

  3. Institute for Energetics and Interphases, Via E. De Marini 6, 16149, Genoa, Italy

    Massimo Viviani

  4. Department of Chemical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry and Materials Science, Via Diotisalvi 2, 56126, Pisa, Italy

    Nicolaos Vatistas & Cristiano Nicolella

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  1. Antonio Barbucci
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  2. M. Paola Carpanese
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  3. Massimo Viviani
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  4. Nicolaos Vatistas
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  5. Cristiano Nicolella
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Correspondence to Antonio Barbucci.

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Barbucci, A., Paola Carpanese, M., Viviani, M. et al. Morphology and electrochemical activity of SOFC composite cathodes: I. experimental analysis. J Appl Electrochem 39, 513–521 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-008-9708-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-008-9708-y

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