Fabrication and Characterization of Composite LSCF-Ag Cathode for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells using Electron Beam Irradiation Process

A new process to fabricate a composite LSCF-Ag cathode material for SOFCs by electron beam (e-beam) irradiation process has been suggested for operation under intermediate temperature range of 600-700 °C. A composite LSCF-Ag cathode with uniformly coated Ag nanoparticles on the surface of the LSCF material was prepared by a facile e-beam irradiation method at room temperature. The morphology of the composite LSCFAg material was analyzed using a TEM, FE-SEM, and EDS. The prepared composite LSCF-Ag material can play a significant role in increasing the electro-catalytic activities and reducing the operating temperature of SOFCs. The performance of a tubular single cell prepared using the composite LSCF-Ag cathode, YSZ electrolyte and a Ni/YSZ anode was evaluated at reduced operating temperature of 600-700 °C. The microstructure and chemical composition of the single cell were investigated using a FE-SEM and EDS. KCI Citation Count: 1