Microstructure and mechanical properties of Ni/10 mol% Sc2O3–1 mol% CeO2–ZrO2 cermet anode for solid oxide fuel cells

The mechanical properties of anode materials play an important role in the reliability and durability of solid oxide fuel cells operating at high temperatures in a reducing environment. In this paper, we produced the results of the mechanical properties investigation of Ni/10 mol% Sc2O3–1 mol% CeO2–ZrO2 cermet anodes. Young's modulus as well as strength and fracture toughness of non-reduced and reduced anodes has been measured, both at room and at high temperatures. High temperature experiments were performed in the reducing environment of forming gas. It is shown that while at 700 °C and 800 °C, the anode specimens exhibited purely elastic deformation and brittle fracture, a brittle-to-ductile transition occurred for heating above 800 °C and the anode deformed plastically at 900 °C. Fractography of the anode specimens were performed to identify the fracture modes of anodes tested at different temperatures.