Development of Fe–Ni/YSZ–GDC electrocatalysts for application as SOFC anodes: XRD and TPR characterization and evaluation in the ethanol steam reforming reaction

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Electrocatalysts based on Fe–Ni alloys were prepared by means of modified Pechini and physical mixture methods and using on a composite of Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) and Gadolinia-Doped Ceria (GDC) as support. The former method was based on the formation a polymeric precursor that was subsequently calcined; the later method was based on the mixture of NiO and the support. The resulting composites had 35 wt.% metal load and 65 wt.% support (70 wt.% YSZ and 30 wt.% GDC mixture) (cermets). The samples were then characterized by Temperature-Programmed Reduction (TPR) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and evaluated in the ethanol steam reforming at 650 °C for 6 h in the temperature range of 300–900 °C. The XRD results showed that the bimetallic sample calcined at 800 °C formed a mixed oxide (NiFe 2O 4) with a spinel structure, which, after reduction in hydrogen, formed Ni–Fe alloys. The presence of Ni was observed to decrease the final reduction temperature of the NiFe 2O 4 species. The addition of iron to the nickel anchored to YSZ–GDC increased the hydrogen production and inhibited carbon deposition. The resulting bimetallic 30Fe5Ni sample reached an ethanol conversion of about 95% and a hydrogen yield up to 48% at 750 °C. In general, ethanol conversion and hydrogen production were independent of the metal content in the electrocatalyst. However, the substitution of nickel for iron significantly reduced carbon deposition on the electrocatalyst: 74, 31, and 9 wt.% in the 35Ni, 20Fe15Ni, and 30Fe5Ni samples, respectively.