Sealing Evaluation of an Alkaline Earth Silicate Glass for Solid Oxide Fuel/Electrolyser Cells

Glass is the most recognised material to seal solid oxide fuel/electrolyser cell components. We have developed a SrO-La2O3-Al2O3-SiO2 (SABS-0) based seal glass with all the desired thermophysical properties and thermochemical stability. In this study, the SABS-0 seal glass is sandwiched between AISI 441 interconnect alloy and fully stabilised ZrO2 electrolyte for sealing ability evaluation. The sealing performance and the thermal cycling resistance of the tri-layer assembly are tested by a pressure leakage test with 320 K min(-1) heating rates for 2,500 h and 100 thermal cycles. The sealing strength is evaluated by a rupture strength test. The results show that the SABS-0 glass is hermetic for at least 2,500 h and has high rupture strength for solid oxide fuel/electrolyser cell component sealing. The stress state for the tri-layer assembly has been analysed using three different approaches.