Evaluation of microstructural and electrical properties of tubular Ni-Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9 composite anode for SOFC

By this work, we discussed about the fabrication and characterization of tubular anode for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) which include nanocomposite powder preparation and analysis. For the synthesis of the Ni-Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9 nanocomposite powder, the economic synthesis technique known as nitrate-fuel combustion method was used. The NiO-SDC composite was realized by the phase inversion slurry and ball milling techniques. The calcined powder was fully crystalline with mesopores in Sm doped Ceria (SDC) phase. The phase inversion method via dip coating as a simple manufacturing process was adopted to fabricate the Ni-SDC tubes. The sintered tubes exhibited uniform sponge-like porous geometry, with gradual changes in pore size represented as two different zones across the tube. The sintered tubes possess 25%-30% of porosity, a bending strength of 491 ± 54 MPa and the electrical conductivity in the range of 21-36 Scm^-1 at 500 °C-800 °C. The increase in porosity and reduction in mechanical strength of the tubes after reduction treatment was discussed.