Effect of Fe2O3 on Sm-doped ceria system solid electrolyte for IT-SOFCs

Research highlights: → The addition of Fe2O3 promotes densification, reducing sintering temperature by ∼100-150 deg. C. → Impedance spectroscopy measurements indicated that SDC with 0.25 mol% Fe2O3 has the highest conductivity, about 10% higher than that of SDC at 700 deg. C. → Conversely, a reduction in conductivity is observed in all samples after aging in air at 800 deg. C for 120 h. Because of the harmful effect of aging, conductivity rapidly decreases as Fe2O3 content in the samples exceeded 0.25 mol%. → However, SDC with 0.25 mol% Fe2O3 shows the same magnitude of decrease in conductivity compared with that of SDC after aging. This indicates that SDC with 0.25 mol% Fe2O3 continues to present the best conductivity even after high-temperature aging. - Abstract: The effect of Fe2O3 addition (0-2.5 mol%) on the densification, crystal structure, ionic conductivity, and aging behavior of Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 (SDC) was studied. The addition of Fe2O3 promotes densification, reducing sintering temperature by ∼100-150 deg. C. X-ray diffraction showed that these materials exhibit a fluorite structure; a second phase of Fe2O3 is identified when Fe2O3 content was ≥1.5 mol%. Impedance spectroscopy measurements indicated that SDC with 0.25 mol% Fe2O3 has the highest conductivity, about 10% higher than that of SDC at 700 deg. C. Conversely, a reduction in conductivity is observed in all samples after aging in air at 800 deg. C for 120 h. Because of the harmful effect of aging, conductivity rapidly decreases as Fe2O3 content in the samples exceeded 0.25 mol%. However, SDC with 0.25 mol% Fe2O3 shows the same magnitude of decrease in conductivity compared with that of SDC after aging. This indicates that SDC with 0.25 mol% Fe2O3 continues to present the best conductivity even after high-temperature aging.