BaCeO3-BaZrO3 solid solution (BCZY) as a high performance electrolyte of protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs)

Abstract

To overcome the limitations of the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) due to the high temperature operation, there has been increasing interest in proton conducting fuel cells (PCFCs) for reduction of the operating temperature to the intermediate temperature range. In present work, the perovskite BaCe0.85-xZrxY0.15O3-λ (BCZY, x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7) were synthesized via solid state reaction (SSR) and adopted as an electrolyte materials for PCFCs. Powder characteristics were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) surface area analysis. Single phase BCZY were obtained in all compositions, and chemical stability was improved with increasing Zr content. Anode-supported cell with Ni-BaCe0.55Z0.3Y0.15 O3-λ (BCZY3) anode, BCZY3 electrolyte and BCZY3-Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-λ (BSCF) composite cathode was fabricated and electrochemically characterized. Open-circuit voltage (OCV) was 1.05 V, and peak power density of 370 (mW/cm2) was achieved at 650°C.