Enhanced densification of thin tape cast Ceria-Gadolinium Oxide (CGO) layers by rheological optimization of slurries

Optimized CGO-based slurries are formulated and shaped into thin dense layers via a tape-casting process. The formulation is adjusted with respect to the rheological behaviour. The internal structure and flow properties of slurries are explored with the aim of identifying the required conditions to obtain thin dense CGO layers at reduced sintering temperatures (1200 °C). We demonstrate a correlation between the rheological properties of the slurries, the sintering behaviour and the microstructure of the resulting tapes. Remarkably, a dense CGO layer less than 20 µm thick is obtained with a non-congested slurry, having optimized ceramic loading and liquid-like behaviour.