High performance anode-supported intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) with La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.2O3−δ electrolyte films prepared by electrophoretic deposition

Remarkable power density was obtained for anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) based on La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.2O3−δ (LSGM) electrolyte films, fabricated following an original procedure that allowed avoiding undesired reactions between LSGM and electrode materials, especially Ni. Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) was used for the fabrication of 30 μm-thick electrolyte films. Anode supports were made of La0.4Ce0.6O2−x (LDC). The LSGM powder was deposited by EPD on an LDC green tape-cast membrane added with carbon powder, both as pore former and substrate conductivity booster. A subsequent co-firing step at 1490 °C produced dense electrolyte films on porous LDC skeletons. Then, a La0.8Sr0.2Fe0.8Co0.2O3−δ (LSFC) cathode was applied by slurry-coating and calcined at 1100 °C. Finally, the porous LDC layer was impregnated with molten Ni nitrate to obtain, after calcination at 900 °C, a composite NiO–LDC anode. Maximum power densities of 780, 450, 275, 175, and 100 mW/cm2 at 700, 650, 600, 550, and 500 °C, respectively, were obtained using H2 as fuel and air as oxidant, demonstrating the success of the processing strategy. As a comparison, electrolyte-supported SOFCs made of the same materials were tested, showing a maximum power density of 150 mW/cm2 at 700 °C, more than 5 times smaller than the anode-supported counterpart.