Durability of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell and Interconnects for Steam Electrolysis

Durability of a solid oxide electrolysis cell tested at -1.5A/cm2 for high temperature steam electrolysis was investigated in the present work under stack relevant conditions. Detailed electrochemical and microstructural analyses were carried out. The results show that both the hydrogen and the oxygen electrodes degraded during the durability test. The degree of percolation loss in the active Ni-YSZ hydrogen electrode is found to decrease along the steam flow direction whereas the formation of cracks or cavities/pores within the electrolyte shows the opposite trend. The influence of sealing and interconnects on cell degradation under harsh electrolysis conditions is further discussed.