Performance Recovery of Sulfur Poisoning Anode and Prevention of Sulfur Poisoning by Shifting Anode Potential for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Abstract

© The Electrochemical Society. The possibility of performance recovery of the sulfurated Ni-yttria stabilized zirconia anode by shifting the anode potential to the stable region, in which nickel exists as metal, is investigated. The effect of controlling the potential of the anode to the stable region to suppress the generation of nickel sulfide is also revealed. The surface of Ni particle reacts with sulfur to form Ni 3 S 2 in a low temperature region; however, the nickel is reduced to metallic by shifting the electrode potential to -1.9 V vs reference electrode exposed to O 2. When the potential of the Ni-based anode is maintained at the value of ≤ -1.9 V vs the reference electrode potential, the sulfidation of nickel is inhibited.