Influence of the oxygen electrode and inter-diffusion barrier on the degradation of solid oxide electrolysis cells

Two Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOECs) with different oxygen electrodes have been tested in galvanostatic tests carried out at −1.5 Acm−2 and 800 °C converting 60% of a 50:50% mixture of H2O and CO2 (co-electrolysis). One of the cells had an LSM:YSZ oxygen electrode. The other had an CGO inter-diffusion barrier sandwiched between the YSZ electrolyte and an LSCF:CGO oxygen electrode. Impedance Spectroscopy was used during the tests to diagnose the change in electrochemical response of the different components of the SOECs. The results showed a significantly lower degradation rate for the cell with an LSCF:CGO oxygen electrode. This was attributed to three different effects: (1) The LSCF electrode was found to be more stable than its LSM:YSZ based counterpart. (2) The crack propagation in the YSZ electrolyte was less severe in the cell with an LSCF electrode. (3) The Ni:YSZ degradation was less severe in the cell with an LSCF electrode. We hypothesize further that (2) is an effect of the CGO inter-diffusion layer and that (3) is an indirect effect of (2).

► Two SOECs with LSCF:CGO and LSM:YSZ oxygen electrodes were tested.
► The tests were carried out at −1.5 Acm−2 and co-electrolysis conditions.
► The LSCF electrode was electrochemically more stable than its LSM counterpart.
► The electrolyte of the LSCF cell was more stable than that of the LSM:YSZ cell.
► The Ni:YSZ electrode was more stable in the cell with an LSCF:CGO electrode.