Impedance Study on NiO-BaCe0.54Zr0.36Y0.1O2.95 Composite Anode for Proton-Conducting Fuel Cell

A composite anode of NiO-BaCe0.54Zr0.36Y0.1O2.95 (NiO-BCZY) has been proposed as a suitable anode material for the application in a proton-conducting fuel cell (PCFC). A single anode supported cell with the structure of NiO-BCZY|BCZY|La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ (LSCF) was fabricated by a dry-pressing assisted with spin-coating technique. The cell was sintered in air at 1400°C for 3 hours with a heating rate of 10°C/min. Complex impedance measurements were conducted in H2:N2 (10%:90%) as the fuel and air as the oxidant after the cell was reduced in H2:N2 (10%:90%) for 7 hours. The typical impedance pattern of the single cell was resolved using an equivalent circuit consisting two parallel RQ elements connecting in series. The cell showed an overall resistance of 17.34 to 69.53.Ω cm2 at a temperature ranging from 550 and 700°C. The SEM cross-sectional view of the single cell after impedance measurement showed a good adhesion between the three layers with characteristic dense electrolyte layer and a unique porous electrode. The experimental results indicated that NiO-BaCe0.54Zr0.36Y0.1O2.95 is a suitable candidate for anode material for the PCFC application.