Powder prepared by spray pyrolysis as an electrode material for solid oxide fuel cells

A variety of spray pyrolysis (SP) techniques have been developed to directly produce ceramic powders from solutions. Examples that are discussed include the following powders: (La(0.8)Sr(0.2))(0.9)MnO(3)-YSZ (La(Sr)MnO(3)-YSZ), La(0.6)Sr(0.4)CoO(3) (La(Sr)CoO(3)), (CeO(2))(0.8)(SmO(1.5))(0.2)-NiO (SDC-NiO) and La(0.9)Sr(0.1)Ga(0.8)Mg(0.2)O(3)-NiO (LSGM-NiO). For all these powders, spherical, non-agglomerated, submicrometer particles were obtained from aqueous solution of metal salts into a furnace using an ultrasonic atomizer at 1.7 MHz. After SP some of the particles exhibit a hollow-shell morphology. Subsequent calcination at 1000 degrees C yielded crystalline particles. The electrical performance of Ni-SDC/LSGM/La(Sr)CoO(3) fuel cells operating at 800 degrees C, prepared from the powders obtained by SP, is reported. (C) 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers.