Preparation of Plasma Sprayed GDC Electrolytes for Metal-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Abstract

For metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells, gadolinium-doped cerium ceria (GDC) is one of the most promising electrolyte materials due to its high ionic conductivity at medium and low temperatures. However, using traditional sintering method to prepare GDC electrolytes at high temperature can lead to interdiffusion between the metal supports, electrolytes, and electrodes, which can seriously impact cell performance. In this paper, the GDC electrolytes were prepared using atmospheric plasma spraying technology, which could avoid the issue of high-temperature sintering. The effects of different spraying distances on the microstructure, interface, and cell performance were studied. The results show that the cell performance is optimal when the spraying distance is 80 mm. The open-circuit voltages of the single cell at 500, 600, and 700 °C are 0.866 V, 0.82 V, and 0.75 V, respectively. The peak power densities at these temperatures are 66.2, 182.8, and 386 mW/cm², respectively. It provides a reference value for the commercialization of metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells prepared by plasma spraying.