Solid State Fuel Cell and Process for the Production Thereof

The invention relates to a solid state fuel cell for oxidation of CH.sub.4, where the solid state electrolyte is preferably formed by YSZ (yttrium oxide stabilized zirconium oxide) .

A conventional solid state fuel cell comprises a solid state electrolyte, a solid state cathode, and a cermet anode. The operating temperature of a stack of solid state cells is approximately 1000.degree. C. The electrolyte contains usually a Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 --ZrO.sub.2 mixture oxide, a so called yttrium oxide stabilized zirconium oxide (YSZ). The cathode is usually composed of LaMnO.sub.3 doped with Sr, Mg or Ca, and the anode is usually composed of a mixture of fine Ni-particles and YSZ. The nickel-YSZ-oxide cermet anode is usually produced by mixing NiO with YSZ (Zr.sub.1 -x Y.sub.x O.sub.2 --x/2). The latter oxide mixture is sintered on the electrolyte. When the fuel cell operates, and H.sub.2 or CH.sub.4 is transferred to the anode, NiO is reduced to Ni. Such a cermet anode must be porous in such a manner that the fuel gas can escape and react with O.sup.-- -ions from the YSZ electrolyte at the same time as it releases electrons to the nickel metal. Accordingly, the anode reaction can only take place in a transition area between the three phases YSZ, Ni, and fuel gas. The anode reaction is as follows:

A conductive path or percolation path must be provided through the Ni-phase in order to allow removal of the electrons, the path being ensured by the % by volume of Ni exceeding 35%.

However, when CeO.sub.2 -based anodes are used, a reduction by way of H.sub.2 or CH.sub.4 results in formation of understoichiometric CeO.sub.2-x capable of conducting both electrons and oxygen ions. An oxidation of H.sub.2 or CH.sub.4 can on such an anode be carried out on the entire surface, i.e. the gas transition zone, e.sup.- and O.sup.-- simultaneously being available everywhere on the surface. The latter is of particular importance in connection with oxidation of CH.sub.4 presenting the main component in natural gas. The surface density, i.e. the reaction rate, in connection with understoichiometric CeO.sub.2-x is up to a 100 times higher than in connection with a Ni--YSZ cermet anode.

According to a conventional way of adhering a thin layer of ceramics, such as CeO.sub.2, onto another material, such as YSZ, the CeO.sub.2 powder is suspended in a suitable, viscous liquid spread over the already produced YSZ followed by heating to 1200.degree. to 1600.degree. C. for 1 to 5 hours. Subsequently, the CeO.sub.2 powder is sintered to an approximately compact layer capable of adhering to YSZ. During the heating, the CeO.sub.2 and YSZ diffuse into one another, CeO.sub.2 diffusing faster than YSZ, whereby porosities arise about the original YSZ surface due to the so called Kirkendall effect. The porosities reduce the mechanical strength with the result that the structure cracks. When the sintering temperature is kept low and the sintering period is short, the formation of porosities can indeed be reduced, but the sintering of the CeO.sub.2 electrode is, however, poor and results in a mechanically weak structure.

The diffusing of CeO.sub.2 into YSZ involves the additional problem that a poor electrical conductivity is achieved in the CeO.sub.2 --YSZ mixture area. Accordingly, a voltage drop arises in the area due to the high resistance.

An object of the invention is to provide a solid state fuel cell for oxidation of CH.sub.4 with a CeO.sub.2 -based electrode being mechanically stable and in good electric contact with the electrolyte.

A solid state fuel cell of the above type is according to the invention characterized in that a thin layer of CeO.sub.2 -based ceramics is fastened to the electrolyte and serves as an anode, a surfactive metal oxide also being applied between the electrolyte and the ceramic layer.

By adding NiO or another transition metal oxide which is surfactive on YSZ to the CeO.sub.2, CeO.sub.2 is prevented from diffusing into YSZ. Alternatively, a layer of such a metal oxide powder suspended in a dispersion medium can be painted on the YSZ electrolyte followed by application of the CeO.sub.2 powder. By the expression surfactive is meant that the metal oxide, such as MnO.sub.2 or NiO, is easy to distribute uniformly on the YSZ surface as well as that the oxide does not clot in spots on the YSZ surface during the heating process. The measure can alternatively be performed by admixing up to 30% by weight of NiO into the CeO.sub.2 -based ceramic powder. It is assumed, that a very low content of NiO suffices. Alternatively, assumed suitable auxiliary oxides are oxides of the transition metals V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Nb, Ta and of Ca, Ge, In, Sn, Sb, Pb, and Bi.

The auxiliary oxide has partly the effect that the YSZ surface thereof is completely covered and accordingly prevents CeO.sub.2 from diffusing into YSZ, and partly the effect that it adheres the two materials to one another by a low transition surface tension to both YSZ and CeO.sub.2 A proviso applying to the auxiliary oxide layer for being usable in a solid state fuel cell is that the auxiliary oxide layer serving as an adhesive layer must be penetrable by oxygen ions when the fuel cell is operating. When NiO is used as an auxiliary oxide, the NiO is during the starting phase presumably reduced into metallic Ni due to the effect of hydrogen. As the molar volume of Ni is as low as 6.6 cm.sup.3 /mole, and the molar volume of NiO is 11.2 cm.sup.3 /mole, a significant contraction takes place, whereby CeO.sub.2 is brought into direct contact with YSZ in such a manner that O.sup.-- ions can move approximately freely from YSZ into Ce.sub.2.

When the Ni resulting from the reduction of NiO appears on the CeO.sub.2 surface as particles of a diameter of approximately 1 .mu.m or more, problems are likely to arise in connection with the oxidation of CH.sub.4, as Ni is a well-known cracking catalyst. Ni exposed into CH.sub.4 at 1000.degree. C. is accordingly assumed to cause a separation of carbon, gradually destroying the anode. The latter is apparently the case in the cermet anode described in EP Patent Application No. 388,558, the application not mentioning either that CH.sub.4 can be used as fuel gas. The separation of carbon can be avoided by ensuring that almost no Ni is visible on the CeO.sub.2, surface, for instance by only applying Ni as a layer onto the YSZ electrolyte and not admixing it into CeO.sub.2. A carbon separation can alternatively be avoided by treating the surface with H.sub.2 S in the starting phase. When the visible Ni is subjected to H.sub.2 S at 1000.degree. C., a NiS layer is formed on the Ni particles with the result that the cracking-catalytic properties disappear. In this manner it is possible to add up to 35 to 40% by weight of Ni, whereby the conductivity of an electrode of understoichiometric CeO.sub.2-x can be improved because a treatment by means of H.sub.2 S removes the ability of Ni to separate carbon from CH.sub.4 in connection with cracking.

Compared to an Ni--YSZ cermet electrode, the Ni--CeO.sub.2-x electrode treated with H.sub.2 S is in addition tolerant to a possible content of sulphur in CH.sub.4. A substantial problem of the conventional Ni--YSZ cermet anode is that it is deactivated when subjected for a prolonged period of time to fuel gas having a sulphur content of the magnitude 100 ppm. Ni-free CeO.sub.2 -based electrodes are also assumed to be tolerant to a sulphur content in the fuel gas.

A particular problem related to CeO.sub.2 -based electrodes is that an understoichiometric CeO.sub.2-x electrode can break because when some of the O.sup.-- -ions are removed from the crystal lattice to form CeO.sub.2-x at the same time as some of the Ce.sup.+4 ions are reduced into Ce.sup.+3, the crystal lattice expands partly because less negative O.sup.-- are present to keep the positive Ce ions together, and partly because a Ce.sup.+3 ion is larger than a Ce.sup.+4 ion. A solution to this problem has apparently been found.

When CeO.sub.2 is doped with a tri- or divalent metal oxide, such as Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 or CaO, solid solutions of the type Ce.sub.1-y Y.sub.yO 2--y/2 or Ce.sub.1-x Ca.sub.x O.sub.2-x are formed Once an excess of oxygen ions, i.e. oxygen ion vacancies, has been introduced into a Ce.sub.1-x Ca.sub.x O.sub.2-x crystal lattice, it is difficult to form additional oxygen ion vacancies by way of reducing Ce.sup.+4 into Ce.sup.+3. The process is as follows:

where the vacancies form part as species on equal terms with the ions of the crystal lattice, i.e. already introduced vacancies from a CaO doping displaces the equilibrium to the left.

When the formation of Ce.sup.+3 and vacancies is stopped by the addition of CaO, the electronic conductivity of the CeO.sub.2 -based electrode is reduced because the electronic conductivity is provided by the outermost and loosely arranged electron of the Ce.sup.+3 ion. Accordingly, a lower concentration of Ce.sup.+3 results in a lower conductivity. Materials, such as Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5 in which Nb.sup.+5 is more easily reduced than Ce.sup.+4, can be added in order to increase the electronic conductivity. The outermost and loosely arranged electron of Nb.sup.+4 is also mobile. One way of increasing the volume stability of CeO.sub.2 is to dope with metal oxides, where the metal ion is smaller than Ce.sup.+4. As a result, local tensions, i.e. deformations, are introduced into the CeO.sub.2 capable of absorbing the local increases of the volume arising during the formation of Ce.sup.+4 by reaction with Ce.sup.+3.

Materials which may be doped in CeO.sub.2 in order to improve the conductivity are for instance Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5, Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5, TiO.sub.2, P.sub.2 O.sub.5, As.sub.2 O.sub.5, Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3 ZnO, In.sub.2 O.sub.3, SO.sub.3 and Sb.sub.2 O.sub.5 or mixtures thereof or materials presenting the same mixture by addition of CeO.sub.2 followed by a heat treatment, such as the carbonates of the same materials or for instance Ce(SO.sub.4).sub.2 instead of SO.sub.3 or CePO.sub.3 instead of P.sub.2 O.sub.5.

Materials to be doped in CeO.sub.2 in order to improve the volume stability by reduction are metal oxides, where the metal ion is mono-, di-, or trivalent, such as Na.sub.2 O, K.sub.2 O, MgO, CaO, SrO, BaO, Sc.sub.2 O.sub.3, Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, La.sub.2 O.sub.3, In.sub.2 O.sub.3, Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3 as well as tri- and divalent lanthanides, Ti.sub.2 O.sub.3, ZnO, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. Oxides with metal ions smaller than Ce.sup.+4 are apparently particularly suited.

The invention also relates to a process of producing a solid state fuel cell. The process according to the invention is characterized by fastening to the electrolyte a thin layer of CeO.sub.2 -based ceramic powder admixed a transition metal oxide which is surfactive on the electrolyte. As a result a suitable process for producing the fuel cell is obtained.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional solid state fuel cell,

FIG. 2 illustrates a solid state fuel cell according to the invention with a CeO.sub.2 -based anode,

FIG. 3 illustrates a fuel cell which can be repeated in a stack, and

FIG. 4 illustrates a stack of cells with a manifold for fuel gas and air, respectively.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional solid state fuel cell, where the fuel gas is H.sub.2. The fuel electrode, the anode, is formed by an Ni--YSZ cermet. The electrolyte is a YSZ electrolyte and the air electrode, the cathode, is formed by La(Sr)MnO.sub.3. The thickness of both the electrode and the electrolyte is typically 100 .mu.m. However, considerable variation possibilities exist of from a few .mu.m and up to 0.3 mm for the electrolyte, and 1 mm for the electrodes. The Ni--YSZ anode is very poor as anode for CH.sub.4 oxidation.

According to the invention a CeO.sub.2 -based ceramic is used instead, cf. FIG. 2, the ceramic serving as an anode, a surfactive metal oxide also being applied between the electrolyte and the ceramic layer. In this manner a mechanically stable structure is obtained. The surfactive metal oxide can for instance be oxides of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Nb or Ta. In order to improve the volume stability it is in addition possible to add alkali metal oxides, MgO, CaO, SrO, BaO, Sc.sub.2 O.sub.3, Ti.sub.2 O.sub.3, ZnO, In.sub.2 O.sub.3, Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3, La.sub.2 O.sub.3 or oxides of rare earth metals. In order to improve the electronic conductivity, it is possible to add Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5, Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5, P.sub.2 O.sub.5, As.sub.2 O.sub.5, ZnO, In.sub.2 O.sub.3, Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3, SO.sub.3, Sb.sub.2 O.sub.5 or mixtures thereof.

FIG. 3 illustrates a single fuel cell which can be repeated in a stack. At the top, the fuel cell comprises a terminal plate 1 of electrically conductive material. The terminal plate 1 is provided with some longitudinal channels for the feeding of fuel gas. A fuel cell electrode 2 of CeO.sub.2 -based ceramics is provided below the terminal plate 1 and serves as an anode The YSZ electrolyte 3 is provided below the fuel electrode 2. An additional terminal plate 5 with longitudinal channels for the feeding of an air flow is provided below the air electrode 4. The channels in the terminal plate 5 extend transverse to the channels in the terminal plate 1. During operation, the voltage across the cell, i.e. from one terminal plate to the other, is approximately 0.7 V.

According to the invention it is advantageous to structure a cell stack in connection with a manifold for fuel gas and air, respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Some elongated channels 10, 11 of wavy electrically conductive material are provided between the cells for fuel gas and air, respectively. The wavy layers are arranged such that the flow direction of the air extends transverse to the flow direction of the fuel gas. A common inlet opening 6 and a common outlet opening 7 are provided in connection with the manifolds for fuel gas and a common inlet opening 8 and a common outlet opening 9 are provided for air.

Although other modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventors to embody within the patent warranted thereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of their contribution to the art.