Ni-YSZ cermet anode fabricated from NiO-YSZ composite powder for high-performance and durability of solid oxide fuel cells

A functional composite powder, in which nano-sized NiO (40 vol.%) was crystallized on YSZ particles, was synthesized by the Pechini-type polymerizable complex method in an effort to improve the performance and durability of SOFC anodes. The pore-structure (e.g. porosity, pore size) and mechanical properties (e.g. strength, density) of the electrode were optimized by a combination of two different species of YSZ powder (Tosoh 0.3 μm and Millennium 10 μm). A single cell made from the composite powder exhibited high power density of 1.1 W cm− 2 and high durability under a load of 1.0 A cm− 2 during 530 h of operating time at 800 °C. It could be concluded that this functional composite would enhance the single cell performance and durability at elevated temperature.