Gadolinia-doped ceria mixed with alkali carbonates for solid oxide fuel cell applications: I. A thermal, structural and morphological insight

Ceria-based composites are developed and considered as potential electrolytes for intermediate solid oxide fuel cell applications (ITSOFC). After giving a survey of the most relevant results in the literature, the structural, thermal and morphological properties of composite materials based on gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) and alkali carbonates (Li2CO3–K2CO3 or Li2CO3–Na2CO3) are carefully examined. Thermal analyses demonstrate the stability of the composite with very low weight losses of both water and CO2 during thermal cycling and after 168 h ageing. High-temperature and room-temperature X-ray diffraction allowed determining the precise structure of the composite and its regular and reversible evolution with the temperature. The microstructure and morphology of electrolyte pellets, as observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), show two-well separated phases: nanocrystals of GDC and a well-distributed carbonate phase. Finally, electrical conductivity determined by impedance spectroscopy is presented as a function of time to highlight the stability of such composites over 1500 h.

Research highlights
► State-of-the art on ceria-based composites for solid oxide fuel cell applications.
► Structural and thermal properties of gadolinia-doped ceria and alkali carbonates.
► Good stability of such composites after thermal cycling and ageing over 168 h.
► Electrical conductivity of these materials stable over 1500 h.