Pr5Mo3O16 + δ: A New Anode Material for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

The thermomechanical and electrical conductivity properties of praseodymium molybdate Pr 5 Mo 3 O 16 + δ prepared by a solid-phase method were studied. The electrical conductivity of praseodymium molybdate samples measured at temperatures in the range 373–1173 K with the oxygen partial pressure in the gas of 10 –3 to 0.21 atm was found to increase from ~10 –7 to ~10 –2 S/cm and to be almost independent of oxygen pressure. It is for the first time that electrical conductivity a reductive atmosphere (Ar/H 2 5%) was found to increase from 0.1 to 1.2 S/cm in the same temperature range. Studies of the chemical stability of Pr 5 Mo 3 O 16 + δ with respect to solid electrolytes showed the absence of chemical reactions with GDC at 1273 K and with YSZ at 1223 K. The combination of these properties evidences for the potential of praseodymium molybdate for use as an anode material for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).