Preparation and Characterization of Anodes for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of NiO - Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-δ (NiO-GDC cermet) anodes for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (IT-SOFC). Anode- supported and electrolyte-supported cell configurations were prepared using a commercial cermet. The effect of different carbon aggregates, addition of PVB and different synthesis temperatures were tested. The morphology and composition were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). It was found that the anodes porosity increases with the amount of carbon added. An optimum composition was determined for the anode-supported cell, being limited by the mechanical strength, which decreases with increasing carbon content. The polarization resistance of electrolyte-supported symmetric cells prepared using this optimal composition decreases more than 30% with the addition of carbon, due to the enhanced porosity.