Characteristics and performance of lanthanum gallate electrolyte-supported SOFC under ethanol steam and hydrogen

This study is focused on the electrochemical performance of perovskite-type materials based on doped LaGaO3. La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.2O3−δ (LSGM) and La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.115Co0.085O3−δ (LSGMC) were used as electrolytes and (Pr0.7Ca0.3)0.9MnO3 (PCM) and La0.75Sr0.25Cr0.5Mn0.5O3−δ (LSCM) as cathode and anode material, respectively. LSGM and LSGMC electrolytes were prepared by tape casting with a thickness of about 600 μm. The performance of LSCM/LSGMC/PCM was slightly superior to that obtained on LSCM/LSGM/PCM at different temperatures in both humidified hydrogen and ethanol steam atmospheres, good values of power output in LSCM/LSGMC/PCM were 182 and 169 mW cm−2 using humidified hydrogen and ethanol steam as fuel, respectively, and oxygen as oxidant at 850 °C. Cell stability tests indicate no significant degradation in performance after 60 h of cell testing when LSCM anode was exposed to ethanol steam at 750 °C. Almost no carbon deposits were detected after testing in ethanol steam at 750 °C for >60 h on the LSCM anodes, suggesting that carbon deposition was limited during cell operation.