SYNTHESIS AND PERFORMANCE OF LICOO2 CATHODES FOR THE MOLTEN-CARBONATE FUEL-CELL

A method for fabricating LiCoO2 electrodes has been developed. LiCoO2 powder was synthesized from Li2CO3 and CoCO3 powder by calcining in air at 650-degrees-C. Electrodes were tape cast in a nonaqueous slurry with and without a graphite poreformer. They were sintered in air at temperatures between 700 and 850-degrees-C. Powders and electrodes were characterized by using x-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, the Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller method, Hg porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and a van der Pauw conductivity measurement setup. The electrodes were electrochemically characterized by polarization measurements at different temperatures. Performance of the electrodes, with and without poreformer, respectively, was also determined by measuring polarization curves at different degrees of electrolyte fill.