Effect of Hydrogen Sulfide on Electrochemical Oxidation of Syngas for SOFC Applications

Addition of 0.5% hydrogen sulfide into syngas improved the performance of an oxygen conducting solid oxide fuel cell by enhancing the electrochemical oxidation of carbon monoxide. However, there was no consumption of hydrogen sulfide, as determined by mass spectrometric and gas chromatographic analyzes of the effluent gases during potentioidynamic and potentiostatic runs. The anode was a composite of lanthanum strontium titanate and yttrium cerium oxide. The electrochemical performance of the fuel cell fuelled with syngas containing 0.5% hydrogen sulfide was stable during 30 h galvanostatic tests.