Facile fabrication of mechanically stable LSGM-based anodes for use in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells

In an effort to eliminate carbon emissions in energy production, fuel cells are being developed and improved to provide all of the power required in various applications. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, or SOFCs, show great promise to displace current stationary power sources. However, they require further development to be practical enough for widespread implementation. Lowering the operating temperature and manufacturing cost is of most interest in the evolution of SOFCs. Strontium- and Magnesium-doped Lanthanum Gallate, or LSGM, has shown great promise for use in Intermediate Temperature SOFCs, and could make existing power generators obsolete. This thesis focuses on facilitating the fabrication of LSGM anodes using tape-casting and infiltration to make manufacture of these types of SOFCs inexpensive. First, an environmentally friendly slurry was developed, using only water as the base and minimizing the use of chemicals that would require special disposal. Once successfully developed, LSGM anode slurries using pore formers of starch, activated carbon, and graphite were investigated for their resultant porosity. Using tape-casting methods, disks were sintered and examined for morphology and microstructure, as well as mechanical stability. Once graphite was determined to be the most appropriate pore former, the viscosity of the slurry for anode production was tested at different temperatures and solid loadings in an attempt to capture the ideal processing parameters for tape casting. This was performed in an effort to determine if higher viscosity would require fewer tape casting steps. The sintering profile of the disks was confirmed through TGA of slurry constituents, and finally the infiltration of these disks was investigated. After testing 1M, 2M, and 3M solutions of nickel nitrate solutions for use in infiltration, disks that were infiltrated with 1M solution were investigated for nickel coverage before and after calcination of nickel constituents. The infiltration proved to be successful, as it did not compromise the mechanical integrity of disks while providing sufficient coverage of pores in sintered anode disks.