Performance and sulfur resistance of doped yttrium chromite-ceria composite as anode material for the SOFCs operating on H2S-containing fuel

The sulfur resistance and performance of Sr- and Mn-doped yttrium chromite (YSCM)-samaria-doped ceria (SDC) composite material were investigated for potential use as anodes in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The anode was well adhered to the electrolyte, which was ascribed to their similar coefficient of thermal expansion (TEC). The electro-catalytic activity of YSCM-SDC anodes in yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte-supported cells toward hydrogen oxidation was superior to that of the La 0.75 Sr 0.25 Cr 0.5 Mn 0.5 O 3- δ (LSCM) anode. Sr depletion in the YSCM structure and the formation of SrSO 4 in the presence of sulfur led to performance degradation of the anode. Irreversible and reversible performance degradation suggested that YSCM and SDC played a respective role during the anode deactivation process. The voltage decreased at a rate of 31 mV/h and stabilized at 0.49 V under a 3000 ppm H 2 S atmosphere. In addition, the sulfur tolerance of YSCM-SDC anode was better than SDC under strictly identical conditions.