Thermal cycling and ageing of a glass-ceramic sealant for planar SOFCs

Thermal cycling and thermal ageing tests were performed on Crofer22APU/glass-ceramic/Anode-Supported-Electrolyte (ASE) joined samples in air at the SOFC operating temperature of 800 °C. The Crofer22APU had been polished and preoxidised at 900 °C for 2 h. The diffusion behaviour at the two interfaces was examined and revealed slight diffusion of chromium and manganese from Crofer22APU into the glass-ceramic. No interactions, failure or crack formation were observed at the Crofer22APU/glass-ceramic interface and between the glass-ceramic and YSZ.

► SOFC sealants must survive for hundreds of thermal cycles during operations.
► Thermal cycling and ageing tests were performed on Crofer22APU/sealant/YSZ samples.
► No evidence of interfacial failure and cracks was found.
► Slight migration of both Cr and Mn into the glass-ceramic sealant was observed.