Electrochemical Performance of a Ni and YSZ Composite Synthesised by Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis as an Anode for SOFCs

Abstract

AbstractThe electrochemical performance of an anode material for a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) depends highly on microstructure in addition to composition. In this study, a NiO–yttria‐stabilised zirconia (NiO–YSZ) composite with a highly dispersed microstructure and large pore volume/surface area has been synthesised by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) and its electrochemical characteristics has been investigated. For comparison, the electrochemical performance of a conventional NiO–YSZ is also evaluated. The power density of the zirconia electrolyte‐supported SOFC with the synthesised anode is ∼392 mW cm–2 at 900 °C and that of the SOFC with the conventional NiO–YSZ anode is ∼315 mW cm–2. The improvement is ∼24%. This result demonstrates that the synthesised NiO–YSZ is a potential alternative anode material for SOFCs fabricated with a zirconia solid electrolyte.