The beneficial effects of straight open large pores in the support on steam electrolysis performance of electrode-supported solid oxide electrolysis cell

This study is aimed at improving the electrochemical performance of electrode-supported solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) by optimizing the pore structure of the supports. Two planar NiO-8 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia supports are prepared, one by the phase-inversion tape casting, and the other by conventional tape casting method using graphite as the pore former. The former contains finger-like straight open large pores, while the latter contains randomly distributed and tortuous pores. The steam electrolysis of the cells with different microstructure cathode supports is measured. The cell supported on the cathode with straight pores shows a high current density of 1.42 A cm−2 and a H2 production rate of 9.89 mL (STP) cm−2 min−1 at 1.3 V and 50 vol % humidity and 750 °C, while the cell supported on the cathode with tortuous pores shows a current density of only 0.91 A cm−2 and a H2 production rate of 6.34 mL cm−2min−1. It is concluded that the introduction of large straight open pores into the cathode support allows fast gas phase transport and thus minimizes the concentration polarization. Furthermore, the straight pores could provide better access to the reaction site (the electrode functional layer), thereby reducing the activation polarization as well.