Scalable synthetic method for SOFC compounds

Abstract

Although economically competitive SOFC systems seems to be ready for commercialization, a broad inventory of key starting materials and fabrication processes are needed to enhance systems and reduce costs. These necessities are raised by the demands for large scale SOFC industrial production. Taking into account these reasons, we have synthesized the mean components of a fuel cell, on a large scale, by the glycine nitrate combustion method. The synthesized different components of SOFC have been the interconnector protective coating (MnCo1.9Fe0.1O4), contact layer (LaNi0.6Fe0.4O3), cathode (La0.6Sr0.4FeO3), interlayer (Sm0.2Ce0.8O1.9), electrolyte (ZrO2)0.92(Y2O3)0.08 and anode (Ni0.3O-(ZrO2)0.92(Y2O3)0.08) material, obtaining reproducible pure samples and amounts up to 12 g for each batch, being able to increase easily this amount to lots of hundred of grams. The obtained materials have been characterized by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dilatometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particle size distribution and conductivity measurements.