Chemical interactions of barium-calcium-aluminosilicate-based sealing glasses with oxidation resistant alloys

In most planar solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) stack designs, the interconnect, which is typically made from an oxidation resistant alloy, potentially including austenitic chromia-forming, ferritic chromia-forming, and alumina-forming alloys, has to be hermitically sealed to its adjacent components, usually by a sealing glass. To maintain the structural stability and minimize the degradation of stack performance, the sealing glass must be chemically compatible with the alloy used for the interconnect. In this work, Nicrofer6025, AISI446 and a Fecralloy were selected as examples of austenitic chromia-forming, ferritic chromia-forming, and alumina-forming alloys, respectively. Their chemical compatibility with a barium-calcium-aluminosilicate (BCAS)-based glass, specifically developed as a sealant in SOFC stacks, was evaluated. It was found that the BCAS sealing glass interacted chemically with both the chromia-forming alloys and the alumina-forming alloys. The extent and nature of the interactions and their final products depended on the matrix alloy compositions, the exposure conditions and/or proximity of the glass/alloy interface to the ambient air. These interactions and their mechanisms will be discussed with the assistance of thermodynamic modeling. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V All rights reserved.