Fabrication and characterization of a co-fired La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ cathode-supported Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 thin-film for IT-SOFCs

A dense membrane of Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 on a porous cathode based on a mixed conducting La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ was fabricated via a slurry coating/co-firing process. With the purpose of matching of shrinkage between the support cathode and the supported membrane, nano-Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 powder with specific surface area of 30 m2 g−1 was synthesized by a newly devised coprecipitation to make the low-temperature sinterable electrolyte, whereas 39 m2 g−1 nano-Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 prepared from citrate method was added to the cathode to favor the shrinkage for the La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ. Bi-layers consisting of <20 μm dense ceria film on 2 mm thick porous cathode were successfully fabricated at 1200 °C. This was followed by co-firing with NiO–Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 at 1100 °C to form a thin, porous, and well-adherent anode. The laboratory-sized cathode-supported cell was shown to operate below 600 °C, and the maximum power density obtained was 35 mW cm−2 at 550 °C, 60 mW cm−2 at 600 °C.