Enhancing sulfur tolerance of a Ni-YSZ anode through BaZr 0.1Ce0.7Y0.1Yb0.1O 3?δ infiltration

Abstract

In this study, sulfur tolerance of a conventional Ni-yttria stabilized zirconia (Ni-YSZ) anode for solid oxide fuel cells is significantly improved by surface modification. The Ni-YSZ anode modified by the infiltration of BaZr 0.1Ce0.7Y0.1Yb0.1O 3?δ (BZCYYb) demonstrates stable performance in a sulfur-containing H2 fuel over 500 hours. In contrast, the bare Ni-YSZ anode without surface modification degrades drastically when exposed to the sulfur-containing H2 fuel. This implies that the BZCYYb coating is an excellent catalyst for surface modification of the conventional Ni-YSZ anode. A single step infiltration of BZCYYb into the Ni-YSZ anode was sufficient to provide good sulfur tolerance.