ELECTROPHORETIC DEPOSITION AND SINTERING OF TUBULAR ANODE SUPPORTED GADOLINIUM DOPED CERIA SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL

Colloidal wet chemical processing, conventional sintering techniques as well as atmospheric plasma spraying were evaluated to manufacture tubular Ni-GDC-LSM intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFC). Dip coating of polymer filled Ni suspensions onto PES membranes followed by electrophoretic impregnation of Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-x. (CGO) layers resulted in green crack-free anode supported composites. The bi-layers were sintered in argon admitted tubular furnaces at 1300 degrees C. In order to promote densification and sintering activities of CGO electrolytes, the CGO layers were doped with manganese nitrate and cobalt nitrate in the green state by reactive electrophoretic deposition (REP). Investigations of SEM microstructure analysis of doped and pure Ce0.9Gd0,1O2-x indicated a strong influence of doping concentration on densification rates and maximum sintering temperature. Optimized sintering conditions for processing-of valuable Ni-GDC-LSM intermediate temperature fuel cells were derived.