The effect of calcination temperature on the electrochemical properties of La0.3Sr0.7Fe0.7Cr0.3O3−x (LSFC) perovskite oxide anode of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs)

A series of perovskite structure anode materials, LSFC, was successfully prepared by a glycine combustion process and further calcined at different temperatures. The electrochemical properties of anodes prepared at various calcination temperatures (1100 °C, 1200 °C and 1300 °C) were investigated. The calcination temperature had no significant influence on the morphology of the material but showed obvious influences on the particle sizes and electrochemical properties of the materials. Higher calcination temperature results in sharper X-ray diffractometer (XRD) diffraction peaks of the materials with larger particle sizes and higher electrical conductivity. However materials calcined at higher temperature had much smaller BET surface area resulting in lower triple phase boundary (TPB). The electrochemical performance test exhibited that LSFC anode material sintered at 1100 °C exhibited the smallest area specific resistance (ASR) value in H2 at operating temperatures from 700 to 900 °C. For proton conducting SOFCs (PC-SOFCs) fed by syngas, the cell with anode calcined at 1100 °C also showed highest power density output of 120 mW/cm2 at 750 °C, which was almost three times higher than that of the cell with anode calcined at 1300 °C.