Ceramic materials for advanced solid oxide fuel cells

Solid oxide fuel cells are ceramic fuel cells that convert chemical into electrical energy at temperatures between 650 degrees C and 1000 degrees C. Today, this type of fuel cell is receiving ever-increasing attention due to its principle capability to provide electricity from both fossil and renewable fuel sources. Systems are currently under development for a variety of applications, including small and large-scale stationary combined heat and power systems, and power generation systems in the automotive area. Materials involved in advanced SOFC cells and their fabrication techniques are described in this contribution. The trends to enable lowering of the SOFC operating temperatures to around 800 degrees C and the resulting materials, as well as concept-related solutions, are addressed in particular.