The Effect of Chromium Oxide on the Conductivity of Ce0.9Gd0.1O2, a Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell Electrolyte

Abstract

To study the effect of chromium oxide on the electric properties of Ce0.9Gd0.1O2, a solid-oxide fuel cell electrolyte, two approaches were used: (a) the studying of electrochemical properties of the Ce0.9Gd0.1O2- electrolyte after the spontaneous adsorption of chromium-containing molecules from a gas phase and (b) the analyzing of transport properties of the Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-based chromium-containing compositions obtained by the mixing of solid-oxide electrolyte with chromium(III) oxide. It was found that the chromium reduction at the electrolyte surface dominates when chromium is adsorbed from gas phase. Both approaches allow concluding that the chromium presence in Ce0.9Gd0.1O2 deteriorates the electrolyte transport properties at temperatures above 735°С. This is caused by the chromium incorporation into the electrolyte’s fluorite structure, as well as surface microheterogeneity induced by the chromium presence at the Ce0.9Gd0.1O2 surface and the cerium and gadolinium cation redistribution between the grains’ bulk and surface. At intermediate temperatures (below 735°С) the electric conductivity of the Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-based chromium-containing composition exceeds that of the initial solid-oxide electrolyte, which can be due to changes in transport properties of the chromium-containing phases formed at the Ce0.9Gd0.1O2 surface and grain boundaries.