Properties and microstructure of NiO/SDC materials for SOFC anode applications

NiO/SDC composites and Ni/SDC cermets for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anode applications were prepared from nickel oxide (NiO) and samaria doped ceria (SDC) powders by the powder metallurgy process. The physical and mechanical properties, as well as the microstructure of the NiO/SDC composites and the Ni/SDC cermets were investigated. It is shown that the sintering temperature of the NiO/SDC composites and NiO content plays an important role in determining the microstructure and properties of the NiO/SDC composites, which, in turn, influences the microstructure, electrical conductivity, and mechanical properties of the Ni/SDC cermets. The present study demonstrated that composition and tprocess parameters must be appropriately selected to optimize the microstructure and the properties of NiO/SDC materials for solid oxide fuel cell applications.