Fabrication of Intermediate Temperature Fuel Cell Based on Ceria-Based Electrolyte

Abstract

Ceria based electrolyte are most suitable electrolyte for Intermediate temperature Solid Oxide fuel cell. In this present work gadolinium doped ceria (Gd0.1Ce0.9O2) was prepared via sol-gel process. FTIR analysis shows that at calcination temperature of 600° C most of the organic materials are removed from the samples. The prepared and calcined powder was characterized with XRD, FTIR, SEM, TGA/DTA, I-V and impedance analysis. Single phase cubic fluorite structure is confirmed by XRD analysis where as highly dense microstructure of the pellet sintered 1450° C was confirmed by SEM analysis with a 98% relative density. High temperature sintering results in a significantly high ionic conductivity of 3.04 × 10-1 S/cm at 600° C in air atmosphere for pellet sintered at 1450° C. Complex impedance spectra with well defined, regular and symmetrical semi-circles, was observed in accordance to bricklayer theroratical model. From impedance spectroscopy analysis, it is clear that the two semi-circles start merging together and thus bulk and grain boundary conductivity can not be completely distingushed and grain boundary arc also start dissapperaing.