Anode performance of Mn-doped ceria–ScSZ for solid oxide fuel cell

Abstract

The 70 wt.% Mn-doped CeO2 (MDC)-30 wt.% Scandia-stabilized zirconia (ScSZ) composites are evaluated as anode materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) in terms of chemical compatibility, thermal expansion coefficient, electrical conductivity, and fuel cell performance in H2 and CH4. The conductivity of MDC10 (10 mol.% Mn-doping), MDC20, and CeO2 are 4.12, 2.70, and 1.94 S cm−1 in H2 at 900 °C. With 10 mol.% Mn-doping, the fuel cells performances improve from 166 to 318 mW cm−2 in H2 at 900 °C. The cell with MDC10–ScSZ anode exhibits a better performance than the one with MDC20–ScSZ in CH4, the maximum power density increases from 179 to 262 mW cm−2. Electrochemical impedance spectra indicate that the Mn doping into CeO2 can reduce the ohmic and polarization resistance, thus leading to a higher performance. The results demonstrate the potential ability of MDC10–ScSZ composite to be used as SOFCs anode.