Synthesis and electrochemical properties of intermediate temperature SrCe 0.6 Zr 0.3 Er 0.1 O 3-α -molten carbonate composite electrolyte

Abstract

An erbium-doped SrCeO 3 /SrZrO 3 electrolyte was synthesized via a sol-gel method using zirconium nitrate, cerium nitrate, strontium nitrate, nitric acid, citric acid and erbium oxide as raw materials. And SrCe 0.6 Zr 0.3 Er 0.1 O 3-α -molten carbonate composite electrolyte was obtained at a low synthesis temperature. The thermal gravimetry analysis-differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC) was tested to determine the formation temperature of SrCeO 3 /SrZrO 3 solid solution phase. The structure (X-ray diffractometer, XRD), morphology (scanning electron microscope, SEM), conductivities and H 2 /O 2 fuel cells of SrCe 0.6 Zr 0.3 Er 0.1 O 3-α and SrCe 0.6 Zr 0.3 Er 0.1 O 3-α -Na 2 CO 3 -Li 2 CO 3 were studied at 400-600 °C. The highest power densities of SrCe 0.6 Zr 0.3 Er 0.1 O 3-α and SrCe 0.6 Zr 0.3 Er 0.1 O 3-α -Na 2 CO 3 -Li 2 CO 3 were 16.3 mW·cm -2 and 247.5 mW·cm -2 at 600 °C, respectively.