• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.43 no.7 s.290
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• pp.402-407
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• 2006

NiO/YSZ(70 wt%NiO) composite powders were prepared by ball-milling of 8YSZ and NiO precursors, dried and then followed by calcination. The approach was to combine acidic $Ni(NO_3)_2{\cdot}6H_2O$ and basic $2NiCO_3{\cdot}3Ni(OH)_2{\cdot}4H_2O$ via acid-base reaction as a mixed NiO precursor. Their effects were studied in the aspects of DSC, microstructure, porosity, and electrical conductivity. Ni/YSZ composite of 1N9C (1 mole NiO from the nitrate and 9 moles of NiO from the carbonate) was prepared by consolidation at $1400^{\circ}C$ for 3 h, and then followed by reduction at $1000^{\circ}C$ for 3 h under flowing of 6% $H_2/N_2$. It showed a homogeneous microstructure with ${\sim}20%$ porosity and 1880 S/cm at $1000^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.289-294
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• 2010

Ni-YSZ (Yttria Stabilized Zirconia) composite powders for SOFC were fabricated by glycine nitrate process. $ZrO(NO_3)_2{\cdot}2H_2O$, $Y(NO_3)_3{\cdot}6H_2O$, $Ni(NO_3)_2{\cdot}6H_2O$ and glycine were chosen as the starting materials. The structural properties of the sintered Ni-YSZ cermets have been investigated with respect to the volume contents of Ni. A porous microstructure consisting of homogeneously distributed Ni and YSZ phases together with well-connected grains was observed. The sintered Ni-YSZ cermets showed a porous microstructure consists of homogeneously distributed Ni and YSZ phases and the grains were well-connected. It was found that the open porosity is sensitive to the volume content of Ni. The Ni-YSZ cermet containing 35 vol% Ni seems to be suitable for the electrode material of SOFC since it provides sufficient open porosity higher than 30%.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.43 no.12 s.295
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• pp.768-774
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• 2006

The microstructure of Ni-YSZ cermets was controlled with fine and coarse starting powders (NiO and YSZ) to obtain a optimum strong and conductive tubular anode support for SOFCs. Three types of cermets with different microstructures, i.e., coarse Ni-fine YSZ, fine Ni-coarse YSZ, and fine Ni-fine YSZ, were fabricated to investigate their electrical and mechanical properties. The cermets from fine NiO powder showed high electrical conductivity due to the enhanced percolation of Ni particles. The cermet by foe Ni and coarse YSZ showed excellent electrical conductivity (>1000 S/cm) despite its high porosity $(\sim40%)$ but it showed poor mechanical strength due to the lack of percolation by YSZ particles and due to large pores. Thus fine NiO and YSZ powders were used to make strong and conductive Ni-YSZ support tube by extrusion. The microstructure of the anode tube was modified by the amount of polymeric additives and carbon black, a pore former. Ni-YSZ tube (porosity $\sim34%$) with the finer microstructure showed better performance both in electrical conductivity (>1000 S/cm) and fracture strength $(\sim140\;MPa)$. Either flat or circular NiO-YSZ tubes with the length from 20 to 40cm were successfully fabricated with the optimized composition of materials and polymeric additives.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.423-428
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• 2013

Porous YSZ ceramics are fabricated using 3 mol% yittria-stabilized zirconia (3YSZ) and NiO with different particlesizes (0.6 and 7 ${\mu}m$). Nickel oxide (NiO) is added to the YSZ powder as a pore former with different amounts(40, 50, and 60 vol%) and at different sintering temperatures (1350 and $1400^{\circ}C$) are applied in order to evaluate the temperature effects on the pore and mechanical properties. Heat treatment is conducted after sintering at $700^{\circ}C$ in $H_2$ for the NiO reduction process; then, Ni is removed using a $HNO_3$ etchant solution. According to the NiO contentand sintering temperatures, 41-67% porous YSZ ceramic is obtained and the flexural strength increases, while the porosity decreases with an increasing sintering temperature. The optimum flexural strength ($136.5{\pm}13.4MPa$) and porosity (47%) for oxygen transport porous YSZ membrane can be obtained with 40 vol% of 7 ${\mu}m$ NiO particle at a sintering temperature of $1350^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.525-530
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• 2019

The performance and stability of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) depend on the microstructure of the electrode and electrolyte. In anode, porosity and pore distribution affect the active site and fuel gas transfer. In an electrolyte, density and thickness determine the ohmic resistance. To optimizing these conditions, using costly method cannot be a suitable research plan for aiming at commercialization. To solve these drawbacks, we made high performance unit cells with low cost and highly efficient ceramic processes. We selected the NiO-YSZ cermet that is a commercial anode material and used facile methods like die pressing and dip coating process. The porosity of anode was controlled by the amount of carbon black (CB) pore former from 10 wt% to 20 wt% and final sintering temperature from $1350^{\circ}C$ to $1450^{\circ}C$. To achieve a dense thin film electrolyte, the thickness and microstructure of electrolyte were controlled by changing the YSZ loading (vol%) of the slurry from 1 vol% to 5 vol. From results, we achieved the 40% porosity that is well known as an optimum value in Ni-YSZ anode, by adding 15wt% of CB and sintering at $1350^{\circ}C$. YSZ electrolyte thickness was controllable from $2{\mu}m$ to $28{\mu}m$ and dense microstructure is formed at 3vol% of YSZ loading via dip coating process. Finally, a unit cell composed of Ni-YSZ anode with 40% porosity, YSZ electrolyte with a $22{\mu}m$ thickness and LSM-YSZ cathode had a maximum power density of $1.426Wcm^{-2}$ at $800^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.241-248
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• 2003

We controlled the amount of Y$_2$O$_3$additives, 8 mol% and 10 mol%, and the type of carbon pore former, activated carbon and carbon black, to improve the strength of porous NiO-YSZ anode materials for solid oxide fuel ceil. The 3-point flexural strength, porosity and electrical conductivity were evaluated. As a result, the strength of anode materials with the addition of carbon black was markedly improved. The strength of NiO-10 mol%YSZ sintered at relatively higher temperature was higher than that of NiO-8 mol%YSZ materials. The electrical conductivity of NiO-10 mol%YSZ with carbon black was evaluated as much as 10$^2$∼10$^3$S/cm at 700$^{\circ}C$∼1000$^{\circ}C$ in reducing atmosphere.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.229-234
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• 2004

In this study, we proposed new forming process for a porous ceramic body with unique pore structure. h tubular-type porous NiO-YSZ body with radially aligned pore channels was prepared by freeze-drying of aqueous slurry. A NiO-YSZ slurry was poured into the mold, which was designed to control the crystallization direction of the ice, followed by freezing. Thereafter the ice was sublimated at a reduced pressure. SEM observations revealed that the NiO-YSZ porous body showed aligned large pore channels parallel to the ice growth direction, and fine pores are formed around the outer surface of the tube. It was considered that the difference in the ice growth rate during the freezing process resulted in such a characteristic microstructure. Bilayer consisting of dense thin electrolyte film of YSZ onto the tubular type porous body has been successfully fabricated using a slurry-coating process followed by co-firing. It was regarded that the obtained bilayer structure is suitable for constructing electrode-support type electrochemical devices such as solid oxide fuel cells.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.82-89
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• 2006

The redox behaviors of anode-supported flat tube for solid oxide fuel cell has been studied. The mass change of the extruded NiO/YSZ anode flat tube during redox cycling was examined by thermogravimetric analysis(TGA). The result of TGA was shown a rapidly mass change in the range of $455\;-\;670^{\circ}C$ and the reoxidation of the NiO/YSZ anode was almost completed at $750^{\circ}C$. The starting temperature of reoxidation and the maximum temperature of oxidation rate decreased with increasing the reoxidation cycle, which is attributed to the increased porosity caused by volume change. Bending strengths of the NiO/YSZ anode after redox cycling were 96 - 80 MPa and the bending strength decreased slightly with increasing the redox cycle. On the other hand, the bending strength of the NiO/YSZ anode with electrolyte showed 130 MPa after first redox cycling but decreased rapidly with increasing the redox cycle. From the results of the bending test and the microstructure observation, we conclude that the crack initiation of the electrolyte-coated NiO/YSZ anode was induced easily at interface of electrolyte/anode tube and propagated cross the electrolyte.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.521-530
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• 2017

Improving the microstructure of NiO/YSZ is one of several approaches used to enhance the electrical and mechanical properties of an anode support in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs). The aim of the work reported in this paper was to predict the relationship between these microstructural changes and the resulting properties. To this end, modification of the anode microstructure was carried out using different sizes of Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) (PMMA) beads as a pore former. The electrical conductivity and mechanical strength of these samples were measured using four-probe DC, and three-point bend-test methods, respectively. Thermal etching followed by high resolution SEM imaging was performed for sintered samples to distinguish between the three phases (NiO, YSZ, and pores). Recently developed image analysis techniques were modified and used to calculate the porosity and the contiguity of different phases of the anode support. Image analysis results were verified by comparison with the porosity values determined from mercury porosimetry measurements. Contiguity of the three phases was then compared with data from electrical and mechanical measurements. A linear relationship was obtained between the contiguity data determined from image analysis, and the electrical and mechanical properties found experimentally. Based upon these relationships we can predict the electrical and mechanical properties of SOFC support from the SEM images.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.94-99
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• 2004

Anode-supported flat tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) was investigated to increase the cell power density. The anode-supported flat tube was fabricated by extrusion process. The porosity and pore size of Ni/YSZ ($8mol\%$ yttria-stabilized zirconia) cermet anode were $50.6\%\;and\;0.23{\mu}m$, respectively. The Ni particles in the anode were distributed uniformly and connected well to each other particles in the cermet anode. YSZ electrolyte layer and multilayered cathode composed of $LSM(La_{0.85}Sr_{0.15})_{0.9}MnO_3)/YSZ$ composite, LSM, and $LSCF(La_{0.6}Sr_{0.4}Co_{0.2}Fe_{0.7}O_3)$ were coated onto the anode substrate by slurry dip coating, subsequently. The anode-supported flat tubular cell showed a performance of $300mW/cm^2 (0.6V,\; 500 mA/cm^2)\;at\;500^{\circ}C$. The electrochemical characteristics of the flat tubular cell were examined by ac impedance method and the humidified fuel enhanced the cell performance. Areal specific resistance of the LSM-coated SUS430 by slurry dipping process as metallic interconnect was $148m{\Omega}cm^2\;at\;750^{\circ}C$ and then decreased to $148m{\Omega}cm^2$ after 450hr. On the other hand, the LSM-coated Fecralloy by slurry dipping process showed a high area specific resistance.