Thermal analysis of the cyclic reduction and oxidation behaviour of SOFC anodes

The reduction of the NiO/YSZ samples followed linear kinetics with an activation energy of 78 kJ/mol. Ni/YSZ oxidation followed parabolic kinetics at temperatures lower than 700 °C. A divergence from parabolic kinetics was seen at higher temperatures (700-850 °C). This divergence has been seen in many other kinetic studies and is usually attributed to short-circuit diffusion mechanisms. An activation energy of 87 kJ/mol was calculated for oxidation.