Enhanced sintering behavior of LSGM electrolyte and its performance for solid oxide fuel cells deposited by vacuum cold spray

Abstract

How to obtain dense La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.2O3 (LSGM) electrolyte at low sintering temperature (<1300°C) is a challenge to improve solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) performance at intermediate operation temperature. In this study, a double-layer design method for vacuum cold spray (VCS) prepared-LSGM electrolyte assisted with two-step sintering at a low temperature was proposed. The sintering behavior of VCS deposited LSGM layers at 1200°C was investigated. The LSGM layers became denser in most regions except the appearance of some cracks. Subsequently, the effect of a second LSGM layer on the sintered top layer was studied to block cracks. Results showed that the co-sintered layer with a thickness of approximately 5μm presented a maximum open circuit voltage of ∼0.956V at 650°C and a maximum power density of 592mW/cm2 at 750°C. Result indicates that the sintering assisted VCS is a promising method to prepare the LSGM electrolyte applied in intermediate temperature SOFCs.