Structural Change of Cathode with Pore Former Addition in SOFC

Abstract

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have been considered as a promising electricity-generation technology because of the relatively high efficiency in the conversion of chemical energy to electrical power. The cathode performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) depends substantially on its surface area, porosity and microstructure, and therefore the processing method used is very important in determining cathode performance. By optimizing the structural characteristic of the layer, the cathode performance during fuel cell performance can be fully maximized. Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) pore former was introduced in the processing method of cathode layer. The cathode layer was brush painted and sintered at 1200°C for 5 hours. TGA analysis is used to specify the sintering curve for the cathode layer. In addition, three point bending test is used to investigate the change in bending force with the addition of pore former. Characterization via FESEM allows inspection over the induced pore geometry and distribution along the layer. The study can produce a comprehensive structural analysis on the pore former addition in the precursor solution of the cathode layer for SOFC application.