Fabrication of apatite-type lanthanum silicate films and anode supported solid oxide fuel cells using nano-sized printable paste

Apatite-type lanthanum silicate based films have attracted significant interests to use as an electrolyte of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) working at intermediate temperature. We have prepared Mg doped lanthanum silicate (MDLS) films on NiO–MDLS cermet substrates by spin coating and sintering of nano-sized printable paste made by beads milling. Changes in crystal structure and microstructure of the paste films with the sintering temperature have been investigated to show that porous network structure with a grain growth evolves up to 1300 °C, whereas densification occurred above 1400 °C. Anode supported SOFCs using the pasted MDLS films were successfully fabricated: an open circuit voltage of 0.91 V and a maximum power density of 150 mW cm−2 measured at 800 °C were obtained with the electrolyte film sintered at 1500 °C.