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Microstructure and Electrochemical Behavior of a Structured Electrolyte/LSM-Cathode Interface Modified by Flame Spraying for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Application

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Abstract

Plasma-sprayed yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) can be potentially employed as electrolyte layers in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The formation of a structured electrolyte surface characterized by convex micro deposits generated by only partially molten particles at spraying will increase the specific surface area and subsequently improve the output performance of SOFCs. However, using completely molten YSZ particles during plasma spraying leads to the formation of locally flat surface. In this study, flame spraying was employed to deposit YSZ particles on YSZ substrate using surface-melted particles. The deposition was carried out at different spray distances on YSZ substrate preheated to 650 °C. The surface and cross-section morphology of YSZ particles were characterized by SEM. The electrochemical behavior of single cell with the structured cathode was characterized by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results show that spray distance exhibits significant influence on the morphology of deposited YSZ particles. The cathode polarization of a structured cathode was decreased by about 30-43% compared to a flat cathode at different temperatures.

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Acknowledgments

The present study was financially supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (2007AA05Z135) and Doctoral Fund of Ministry of Education of China (20070698090), and the National Science Fund for Distinguished Yong Scholars (50725101).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710049, P.R. China

    Xiao-Ming Wang, Chang-Jiu Li, Cheng-Xin Li & Guan-Jun Yang

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  1. Xiao-Ming Wang
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  2. Chang-Jiu Li
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  3. Cheng-Xin Li
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  4. Guan-Jun Yang
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Correspondence to Chang-Jiu Li.

Additional information

This article is an invited paper selected from presentations at the 2009 International Thermal Spray Conference and has been expanded from the original presentation. It is simultaneously published in Expanding Thermal Spray Performance to New Markets and Applications: Proceedings of the 2009 International Thermal Spray Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, May 4-7, 2009, Basil R. Marple, Margaret M. Hyland, Yuk-Chiu Lau, Chang-Jiu Li, Rogerio S. Lima, and Ghislain Montavon, Ed., ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 2009.

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Wang, XM., Li, CJ., Li, CX. et al. Microstructure and Electrochemical Behavior of a Structured Electrolyte/LSM-Cathode Interface Modified by Flame Spraying for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Application. J Therm Spray Tech 19, 311–316 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11666-009-9373-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11666-009-9373-7

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