| Presently, one of the principal goals of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) research is to reduce the stack operating temperature to between 600 and 800°C. However, one of the principal technological barriers is the non-availability of a suitable material satisfying all of the stability requirements for the interconnect.; In this work two approaches for intermediate temperature SOFC interconnects have been explored. The first approach comprises an interconnect consisting of a bi-layer structure, a p-type oxide (La0.96Sr0.08MnO 2.001/LSM) layer exposed to a cathodic environment, and an n-type oxide (Y0.08Sr0.88Ti0.95Al0.05O 3-delta/YSTA) layer exposed to anodic conditions. Theoretical analysis based on the bi-layer structure has established design criteria to implement this approach. The analysis shows that the interfacial oxygen partial pressure, which determines the interconnect stability, is independent of the electronic conductivities of both layers but dependent on the oxygen ion layer interconnects, the oxygen ion conductivities of LSM and YSTA were measured as a function of temperature and oxygen partial pressure. Based on the measured data, it has been determined that if the thickness of YSTA layer is around 0.1cm, the thickness of LSM layer should be around 0.6 mum in order to maintain the stability of LSM.; In a second approach, a less expensive stainless steel interconnect has been studied. However, one of the major concerns associated with the use of metallic interconnects is the development of a semi-conducting or insulating oxide scale and chromium volatility during extended exposure to the SOFC operating environment. Dense and well adhered Mn-Cu spinet oxide coatings were successfully deposited on stainless steel by an electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique. It was found that the Mn-Cu-O coating significantly reduced the oxidation rate of the stainless steel and the volatility of chromium. The area specific resistance (ASR) of coated Crofer 22 APU is expected to he around 1.2x10 -2Ocm2 after exposure to air at 800°C for 50000 hours. This demonstrates that Crofer 22 APU with CuMn1.8O 4 coating deposited by EPD is suitable for application as interconnects in intermediate temperature SOFCs. |
