Synthesis and evaluation of (La0.6Sr0.4)(Co0.2Fe0.8)O3 (LSCF)-Y0.08Zr0.92O1.96 (YSZ)-Gd0.1Ce0.9O2-δ (GDC) dual composite SOFC cathodes for high performance and durability

This paper investigates a (La0.6Sr0.4)(Co0.2Fe0.8)O-3 (LSCF)-Y0.16Zr0.92O1.96 (YSZ)-Gd0.1Ce0.9O2-delta (GDC) dual composite cathode to achieve better cathodic performance compared to an LSWGDC-YSZ dual composite cathode developed in previous research. To synthesize the structures of the LSCF/GDC-YSZ and LSCF/YSZ-GDC dual composite cathodes, nano-porous composite cathodes containing LSCF, YSZ, and GDC were prepared by a two-step polymerizable complex (PC) method which prevents the formation of YSZ-GDC solid solution. At 800 degrees C, the electrode polarization resistance of the LSCF/YSZ-GDC dual composite cathode showed to be significantly lower (0.075 Omega cm(2)) compared to that of a commercial LSCF-GDC cathode (0.195 Omega cm(2)), a synthesized LSCF/GDC-YSZ dual composite cathode (0.138 Omega cm(2)), and an LSWGDC-YSZ dual composite cathode (0.266 Omega cm(2)) respectively. Moreover, the Ni-YSZ anode-supported single cell containing the LSCF/YSZ-GDC dual composite cathode achieved a maximum power density of 1.24 W/cm(2) and showed excellent durability without degradation under a load of 1.0 A/cm(2) over 570 h of operation at 800 degrees C. Copyright (c) 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.