Creep and sintering resistance of a Ce added anode electrode for molten carbonate fuel cell

A small amount of cerium added to NiCr anode electrode in a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) and its effects on sintering and creep resistance were then investigated by comparing it with Ce-free anode electrodes. The sintering resistance of Ce added anodes was better than that of Ce-free anode between 500 and 600 °C. However, they exhibited slightly weaker resistance to sintering than Cr-free anode at higher temperatures than 600 °C. The effect of Ce addition to NiCr electrodes was observed in creep strain and porosity change after the creep test. The creep resistance of Ce added anode electrode was better than the Ce-free anode electrode and was exactly proportional to the amount of added Ce. This was believed to be a result of the Ce addition to anode making the anode more ductile, which lead to an enhancement of its resistance to the deformation caused by the simultaneous application of both high pressure and high temperatures. Therefore, the present study presents the possibility that the rare-earth metals (Ce) can be added to anode electrode materials in MCFC to improve creep resistance.