Structural and electrochemical studies of microwave sintered nanocomposite electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract

In this study, a nanocomposite electrolyte is synthesized using a microwave sintering technique, providing an alternative method and improving the conventional sintering technique. In this paper, samarium doped ceria (SDC) materials are synthesized by the co-precipitation method using carbonates as precipitating agents. The precursor of SDC-carbonate is sintered in a microwave (MW) oven and conventionally heated in a digital furnace at 900 °C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques are applied for structural studies. For electrochemical characterization, four probe conductivity and fuel cell performances are completed. The materials prepared using MW improved the densification and exhibited excellent sintering during compared to the conventional method of preparation for the same material. Excellent fuel cell performance (0.65 W cm−2) is achieved with microwave sintering. This method of sintering proves that the microwave process can save time and energy when compared to conventional sintering. This method can provide significant economic benefits compared to conventional sintered materials for applications in fuel cell technology.