The effect of gas compositions on the performance and durability of solid oxide electrolysis cells

•The effect of gas compositions on the performance of SOECs was investigated.•The dilution of H2 increases the overpotential and charge transfer resistances.•Sufficient (>25 vol%) steam content stimulates the electrochemical splitting of water.•We examine the durability of SOECs at extremely high volumes of steam content.•Ni-YSZ electrodes were damaged by a low H2 partial pressure at high temperature.

High-temperature electrolysis with various gas compositions has been performed to investigate the effects of the hydrogen partial pressure and the humidity generated by the steam electrode on the performance and durability of solid oxide electrolysis cells. The power density of the button cell used in this research is 0.48 W cm−2 at 750 °C, and the flow rates of the air and humidified hydrogen are 100 cc min−1. By changing the flow ratio of H2:Ar:H2O(g) from 10:0:4 to 1:9:4, the cell's OCV decreases from 0.973 V to 0.877 V, and the charge transfer resistance increases from 1.126 Ω cm2 to 1.645 Ω cm2. The close relationship between the conversion efficiency of high-temperature electrolysis and steam composition is evident in the increase in the cell's charge transfer resistance from 0.381 Ω cm2 to 1.056 Ω cm2 as the steam content changed from 40 vol% to 3 vol%. Although the electrochemical splitting of water is stimulated in the short term by excessive steam flow, the Ni-YSZ electrodes have been damaged by the steam electrode's low H2 partial pressure. Consequently, the steam electrode's gas composition must be optimized in the long-term because of the trade-off between performance and durability, which depends on the water concentration of the steam electrodes.