Preparation of YSZ thin films for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells by dip-coating method

By studying the effects of different solvents, dispersants and solid loading amount on the suspension stability from sedimentation and viscosity experiments, a simple, effective and highly stable YSZ particle suspension based on MEK/EtOH was developed for dip-coating anode supported electrolyte films for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). The morphologies of the prepared YSZ thin films from different dip-coating times were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a film with a thickness of 16 μm by twice dip-coating was determined to be homogeneous, crack-free and well adherent to the anode substrate. The single cell assembled with this film presents an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.01 V, and a maximum power density of 262 mW cm−2 under H2 as the fuel at 800 °C.