High Temperature Oxide Electrolytes for Electrochemical Devices Application

摘要

A coprecipitation-calcination method was used to synthesise powders of 25 mol% Y2O3 in ZrO2 (25YSZ) or 12.5 mol% Y2O3 - 12.5 mol% Yb2O3 in ZrO2 (12.5Yb12.5YSZ) solid solutions. The pellets were cold isostatically pressed and then sintered for 2 h at 1500°C. The corrosion resistance of 25YSZ, 12.5Yb12.5YSZ solid solutions, and CaZrO3-based samples against molten metals, i.e., copper, nickel or iron, were also examined. Based upon this investigation, it is evident that stability of both zirconia with 25 mol% Y2O3 in solid solution and the calcium zirconate containing 48 % CaO material is limited in molten iron. Electrical conductivity measurements were performed by dc four probe and ac impedance spectroscopy methods in the temperature range of 200-1000°C. The highest value of ionic conductivity was found for the sintered samples of 12.5 mol% Y2O3 -12.5 mol% Yb2O3 in ZrO2. These results indicate that partial substitution of Yb2O3 for Y2O3 in the 25YSZ solid solution leads to an increase of electrical conductivity compared to the solid solution of 25 mol%Y2O3 in ZrO2. It was also found that ionic oxide transference numbers (t_(ion)) of 25YSZ and 12.5Yb12.5YSZ solid solutions were close to 1, what indicated on pure oxide ionic conduction in the materials prepared. Test results are also reported for 25YSZ and 12.5Yb12.5YSZ applied as electrolytes in electrochemical oxygen gas sensors as well as in solid oxide cells, involving NiLa2O4 or NiAl2O4. In this way, the Gibbs free energy of formation of NiLa2O4 or NiAl2O4 in the temperature range 800-1000°C was determined. These materials seem to be promising solid oxide electrolytes for electrochemical oxygen probes, and solid oxide galvanic cells designed to study thermodynamic properties of materials important for SOFC technology and other areas of energy industry.