Electrochemical Investigations of BaCe0.7-xSmxZr0.2Y0.1O3-δ Sintered at a Low Sintering Temperature as a Perovskite Electrolyte for IT-SOFCs

Journal article (2021)

Authors

Muneeb Irshad University of Engineering and Technology Lahore
Mehak Khalid University of Engineering and Technology Lahore
Muhammad Rafique University of Sahiwal
Asif Nadeem Tabish University of Engineering and Technology Lahore
A. Shakeel Rivers, Ports, Waterways and Dredging Engineering - CEG , University of Engineering and Technology Lahore
Khurram Siraj University of Engineering and Technology Lahore
Abdul Ghaffar Government College University, Lahore
Rizwan Raza COMSATS Institute of Information Technology
Muhammad Ahsan Huazhong University of Science and Technology
More Authors... External organisation
Research Group
Rivers, Ports, Waterways and Dredging Engineering (CEG) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2021 Muneeb Irshad, Mehak Khalid, Muhammad Rafique, Asif Nadeem Tabish, A. Shakeel, Khurram Siraj, Abdul Ghaffar, Rizwan Raza, Muhammad Ahsan, More Authors
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212595
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Published Date

2021

Language

English

Faculty

Civil Engineering & Geosciences

Department

Hydraulic Engineering

Research Group

Rivers, Ports, Waterways and Dredging Engineering

Abstract

Perovskite materials have gained a lot of interest in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications owing to their exceptional properties; however, ideal perovskites exhibit proton conduction due to availability of low oxygen vacancies, which limit their application as SOFC electrolytes. In the current project, Sm was doped at the B-site of a BaCe0.7-xSmxZr0.2Y0.1O3-δ perovskite electrolyte for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). BaCe0.7-xSmxZr0.2Y0.1O3-δ electrolytes were synthesized through a cost-effective coprecipitation method and were sintered at a low sintering temperature. The effects of samarium (Sm) doping on the electrochemical performance of BaCe0.7-xSmxZr0.2Y0.1O3-δ were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that the BaCe0.7-xSmxZr0.2Y0.1O3-δ electrolyte material retained the perovskite structure. The secondary phase of Sm2O3 was observed for BaCe0.4Sm0.3Zr0.2Y0.1O3-δ. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) imaging displayed the dense microstructure for all the compositions, while prominent crystal growth was observed for composition x = 0.3. The formation of the perovskite structure and the presence of the hydroxyl groups of metal oxides for all the compositions were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). An increased symmetrical disturbance was also observed for the increased doping ratio of the Sm. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of all the compositions showed no major weight loss in the SOFC operating temperature range. It was also noted that the conductivity of BaCe0.7-xSmxZr0.2Y0.1O3-δ gradually decreased with the increased contents of the Sm metal. The maximum power density of 390 mW cm−2, and an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.0 V at 600 °C, were obtained, showing that BaCe0.7-xSmxZr0.2Y0.1O3-δ, synthesized by a cost-effective method and sintered at a low temperature, can be used as a proton-conducting electrolyte for IT-SOFCs.