Elevation of Strength of the Anode-Substrate Material of Hydrogen and Hydrocarbon Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells

We study the microstructure, strength, and micromechanisms of fracture of 50%(ZrO 2 –4 mole% Y 2 O 3 –2 mole% CeO 2 –2 wt.% Al 2 O 3 )–50% (NiO–5 wt.% CuO) ceramics in the as-sintered state after one-time reduction and after the proposed procedure of cyclic redox treatment at 600°C in Ar–5 vol.% H 2 and N 2 –10 vol.% H 2 –5 vol.% CO 2 gas mixtures. It is shown that the elevated strength of cermets of this system is caused both by lowering of the Y 2 O 3 content from traditional 8 mole % to 4 mole % and by about a twofold decrease in the grain sizes of the original nickel phase after redox cycling. The efficiency of this kind of treatment in improving the properties of the anode-substrate in hydrogen and hydrocarbon solid-oxide fuel cells is confirmed.