Application of dispenser printing for the preparation of a SOFC cathode with controlled microstructure

The fabrication of a cathode layer of solid oxide fuel cells by the dispenser printing was investigated and found to be useful in the creation of a thicker ceramic layer using viscous ceramic slurries. The cathode layer prepared from a mixture of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ (LSCF) and Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (GDC) slurry clearly shows an inhomogeneous microstructure which leads to poor cell performance. In order to solve this problem, the size of the LSCF particles was controlled through a milling process. Better cell performance was observed for the cells with controlled microstructure by adjusting the pore former content, the LSCF/GDC ratio, in addition to the particle size control. This process might be useful in the deposition of a thick ceramic layer on a curved substrate such as micro-tubular cell.