Electrochemical performance of a Ni and YSZ composite synthesised by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis as an anode for SOFCs

Abstract

The electrochemical performance of an anode material for a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) depends highly on microstructure in addition to composition. In this study, a NiO-yttria-stabilised zirconia (NiO-YSZ) composite with a highly dispersed microstructure and large pore volume/surface area has been synthesised by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) and its electrochemical characteristics has been investigated. For comparison, the electrochemical performance of a conventional NiO-YSZ is also evaluated. The power density of the zirconia electrolyte-supported SOFC with the synthesised anode is ~392mWcm -2 at 900°C and that of the SOFC with the conventional NiO-YSZ anode is ~315mWcm-2. The improvement is ~24%. This result demonstrates that the synthesised NiO-YSZ is a potential alternative anode material for SOFCs fabricated with a zirconia solid electrolyte.