Fabrication and characterization of Cu-Ni-YSZ SOFC anodes for direct use of methane via Cu-electroplating

The Cu-Ni-YSZ cermet anodes for direct use of methane in solid oxide fuel cells have been fabricated by electroplating Cu into a porous Ni-YSZ cermet anode. The uniform distribution of Cu in the Ni-YSZ anode was obtained by electroplating in an aqueous solution mixture Of CUSO4 center dot 5H(2)O and H2SO4 for 30 min with 0.1 A of applied current. When the Cu-Ni-YSZ anode was exposed to methane at 700 degrees C, the amount of carbon deposited on the anode decreased as the amount of Cu in the Cu-Ni solid solution increased. The power density (0.24 W/cm(2)) of a single cell with a Cu-Ni-YSZ anode was slightly lower in methane at 700 degrees C than the power density (0.28 W/cm(2)) of a single cell with a Ni-YSZ anode. However, the performance of the Ni-YSZ anode-supported single cell degraded steeply over 21 h because of carbon deposition, whereas the Cu-Ni-YSZ anode-supported single cell showed enhanced durability up to 200 h. (C) 2009 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.