Preparation and characterization of Sm0.2Ce0.8O1.9/Na2CO3 nanocomposite electrolyte for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

✍ Scribed by Zhan Gao; Rizwan Raza; Bin Zhu; Zongqiang Mao; Cheng Wang; Zhixiang Liu

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 910 KB
• Volume: 36
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0360-3199
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2010.12.061

✦ Synopsis

Sodium carbonate a b s t r a c t Sm 0.2 Ce 0.8 O 1.9 (SDC)/Na 2 CO 3 nanocomposite synthesized by the co-precipitation process has been investigated for the potential electrolyte application in low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The conduction mechanism of the SDC/Na 2 CO 3 nanocomposite has been studied. The performance of 20 mW cm À2 at 490 C for fuel cell using Na 2 CO 3 as electrolyte has been obtained and the proton conduction mechanism has been proposed. This communication demonstrates the feasibility of direct utilization of methanol in lowtemperature SOFCs with the SDC/Na 2 CO 3 nanocomposite electrolyte. A fairly high peak power density of 512 mW cm À2 at 550 C for fuel cell fueled by methanol has been achieved. Thermodynamical equilibrium composition for the mixture of steam/methanol has been calculated, and no presence of C is predicted over the entire temperature range. The longterm stability test of open circuit voltage (OCV) indicates the SDC/Na 2 CO 3 nanocomposite electrolyte can keep stable and no visual carbon deposition has been observed over the anode surface.