Effect of Pressurization on Solid Oxide Cell Oxygen Electrodes: the Role of PrO <sub>x</sub> Nanoparticle Infiltration
Jerren Grimes, Scott A. Barnett
Abstract
Pressurization of solid oxide cells improves performance by reducing electrode polarization resistance ( R P ) and facilitates system integration with balance of plant components such as pressurized storage tanks. However, there are few reports on pressurization effects for electrodes designed for low-temperature operation and utilizing infiltrated catalysts. Here we report an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy study of high performing oxygen electrode materials, SrTi 0.3 Fe 0.63 Co 0.07 O 3-∂ (STFC) and PrO x infiltrated STFC, for oxygen partial pressures ( <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>O</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> ) from 0.1 to 8 atm and temperatures from 550 to 650 °C. <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>P</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> decreases more with pressurization for STFC:PrO x , fitting well to <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>P</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>∝</mml:mo> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>O</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mi>n</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> with an exponent n∼0.3, compared to n∼0.25 for STFC. The combination of PrO x infiltration and pressurization yields a substantial R P decrease, e.g., at 600 °C by ∼7 times from 0.36 Ω cm 2 at <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>O</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> = 0.2 atm for STFC to 0.055 Ω cm 2 at <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>O</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> = 4 atm for STFC:PrO x . A transmission-line-based circuit model impedance fit reveals that the significant oxygen surface reaction (R surf ) resistance contribution decreases substantially with PrO x infiltration; and its <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>O</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> dependence become more pronounced, with n increasing from ∼0.25 to ∼0.5. R surf for STFC:PrO x decreases so much at elevated <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>O</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:math> that the electrode/electrolyte interface resistance dominates.