Advances in Low Temperature Coatings for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Components

Abstract

In the development of solid-oxide fuel cells, high-performance coatings are essential to successful commercialization. Electrode coating technologies allow the cost-effective deposition of anode and cathodes on cell components at high volumes and high precision. Further, catalytic and corrosion resistant coatings for common steel alloys find application in gas delivery and fuel reforming components of the balance-of-plant. Such corrosion-resistant alloys are also combined with conductive and insulating oxide protective layers to making low-cost steel interconnectors corrosion-resistant at SOFC operating while maintaining low contact resistance and minimizing Cr volatilization. Many of the first-generation coating technologies that have found commercial implementation were designed for cell and stack operating temperatures of 750 °C and higher. In this paper, Nexceris will report on the development of new formulations designed to meet the needs of lower operating temperature SOFCs.