title: Readily processed protonic ceramic fuel cells with high performance at low temperatures.
abstract: Because of the generally lower activation energy associated with proton conduction in oxides compared to oxygen ion conduction, protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) should be able to operate at lower temperatures than solid oxide fuel cells (250° to 550°C versus ≥600°C) on hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels if fabrication challenges and suitable cathodes can be developed. We fabricated the complete sandwich structure of PCFCs directly from raw precursor oxides with only one moderate-temperature processing step through the use of sintering agents such as copper oxide. We also developed a proton-, oxygen-ion-, and electron-hole-conducting PCFC-compatible cathode material, BaCo(0.4)Fe(0.4)Zr(0.1)Y(0.1)O(3-δ) (BCFZY0.1), that greatly improved oxygen reduction reaction kinetics at intermediate to low temperatures. We demonstrated high performance from five different types of PCFC button cells without degradation after 1400 hours. Power densities as high as 455 milliwatts per square centimeter at 500°C on H2 and 142 milliwatts per square centimeter on CH4 were achieved, and operation was possible even at 350°C.
authors.affiliation: Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, CO 80401, USA.
authors.forename: Chuancheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, CO 80401, USA. jhtongm@gmail.com rohayre@mines.edu.
authors.forename: Jianhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, CO 80401, USA.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.affiliation: Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, CO 80401, USA.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nikodemski
authors.affiliation: Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, CO 80401, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.affiliation: Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, CO 80401, USA.
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ricote
authors.affiliation: The Petroleum Institute, Post Office Box 2533, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almansoori
authors.affiliation: Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, CO 80401, USA. jhtongm@gmail.com rohayre@mines.edu.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: O'Hayre