Synthesis of easily sinterable ceramic electrolytes based on Bi-doped 8YSZ for IT-SOFC applications

Luca Spiridigliozzi; Grazia Accardo; Emilio Audasso; Barbara Bosio; Sung Pil Yoon; Gianfranco Dell’Agli; Luca Spiridigliozzi; Grazia Accardo; Emilio Audasso; Barbara Bosio; Sung Pil Yoon; Gianfranco Dell’Agli

doi:10.3934/matersci.2019.4.610

AIMS Materials Science

2019, Volume 6, Issue 4: 610-620. doi: 10.3934/matersci.2019.4.610

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Synthesis of easily sinterable ceramic electrolytes based on Bi-doped 8YSZ for IT-SOFC applications

1.
Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Latio, Via G. Biasio 43, 03043 Cassino (FR) Italy
2.
Center of Hydrogen-Fuel Cell Research, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarangno 14-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791, South Korea
3.
Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Genova, Via Opera Pia 15, 16145, Genova (GE), Italy

Received: 20 March 2019 Accepted: 29 May 2019 Published: 08 July 2019

Ceramic electrolytes formed by Bi (4 mol%)-doped 8YSZ, i.e., Y₂O₃ (8 mol%)-doped ZrO₂, were synthesized by a simple co-precipitation route, using ammonia solution as precipitating agent. The amorphous as-synthesized powders convert into zirconia-based single phase with fluorite structure through a mild calcination step at 500 °C. The calcined powders were sintered at very low temperatures (i.e., 900–1100 °C) achieving in both cases very high values of relative densities (i.e., >95%); the corresponding microstructures were highly homogeneous and characterized by micrometric grains or sub-micrometric grains for sintering at 1100 °C and 900 °C, respectively. Very interesting electrochemical properties were determined by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) in the best samples. In particular, their total ionic conductivity, recorded at 650 °C, are 6.06 × 10_-2S/cm and 4.44 × 10_-2S/cm for Bi (4 mol%)-doped 8YSZ sintered at 1100 °C and 900 °C, respectively. Therefore, Bi was proved to be an excellent sintering aid dopant for YSZ, highly improving its densification at lower temperatures while increasing its total ionic conductivity.
- yttria-doped zirconia,
- bismuth oxide,
- co-precipitation,
- ceramic electrolyte,
- sintering aids,
- ionic conductivity
Citation: Luca Spiridigliozzi, Grazia Accardo, Emilio Audasso, Barbara Bosio, Sung Pil Yoon, Gianfranco Dell’Agli. Synthesis of easily sinterable ceramic electrolytes based on Bi-doped 8YSZ for IT-SOFC applications[J]. AIMS Materials Science, 2019, 6(4): 610-620. doi: 10.3934/matersci.2019.4.610

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Abstract

Ceramic electrolytes formed by Bi (4 mol%)-doped 8YSZ, i.e., Y₂O₃ (8 mol%)-doped ZrO₂, were synthesized by a simple co-precipitation route, using ammonia solution as precipitating agent. The amorphous as-synthesized powders convert into zirconia-based single phase with fluorite structure through a mild calcination step at 500 °C. The calcined powders were sintered at very low temperatures (i.e., 900–1100 °C) achieving in both cases very high values of relative densities (i.e., >95%); the corresponding microstructures were highly homogeneous and characterized by micrometric grains or sub-micrometric grains for sintering at 1100 °C and 900 °C, respectively. Very interesting electrochemical properties were determined by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) in the best samples. In particular, their total ionic conductivity, recorded at 650 °C, are 6.06 × 10_-2S/cm and 4.44 × 10_-2S/cm for Bi (4 mol%)-doped 8YSZ sintered at 1100 °C and 900 °C, respectively. Therefore, Bi was proved to be an excellent sintering aid dopant for YSZ, highly improving its densification at lower temperatures while increasing its total ionic conductivity.

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