High Performance Catalyzed‐Reaction Layer for Medium Temperature Operating Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Abstract

New concepts for a high performance catalyzed‐reaction layer for medium temperature operating solid oxide fuel cells were proposed. Mixed conducting oxide particles, samaria‐doped ceria (SDC), were employed as the anode material utilizing highly dispersed noble metal catalysts on their surface. As the cathode material, Sr‐doped (LSM) particles catalyzed with microcrystalline Pt were employed. Performances of the anode or cathode were examined in the cell using yttria‐stabilized zirconia electrolyte at a series of operating temperatures. It was found that the anodic polarization resistance and its activation energy were greatly decreased by loading only a small amount of the catalysts (such as Ru, Rh, and Pt) onto the SDC particles. The polarization loss at the anode showed a minimum value by using the SDC particles with a mean diameter of 1.5 to 2.0 μm. A large depolarizing effect was also observed with a Pt‐catalyzed LSM cathode, especially at high current densities.