Fabrication of NiO/YSZ anode material for SOFC via mixed NiO precursors

NiO/YSZ anode material with 45 wt.% NiO for SOFC was synthesized by surface-modification of YSZ powder with mixed nickel oxide precursors. YSZ was treated with acidic nickel nitrate and then followed by basic nickel carbonate. Such prepared NiO/YSZ precursor showed nano-size homogeneous mixture upon calcination at 800 degrees C. The mixture was ground and subjected to calcination at 1200 degrees C to give rise to agglomerate-free NiO/YSZ composite powder with particle size of similar to 0.4-0.7 mu m. The composite powder was analyzed by XRD, zetapotential measurements, and SEM. The composite powder produced the Ni/YSZ cermet of homogeneous microstructure with a rigid YSZ skeleton, porosity of 33%, and an electrical conductivity of similar to 430 S/cm at 800-1000 degrees C, which is much higher than that (similar to 180 S/cm) prepared by a conventional mixed oxide process. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.