| Fuel Cell Materials offers a full line of perovskite electrode materials for use as cathodes in solid oxide fuel cells or as electrodes for other ceramic electrochemical devices. Standard formulations include lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM), lanthanum strontium ferrite (LSF), and lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (LSCF). Perovskite electrode powders are provided with surface area of 4 to 8 m2/gram and particle size of 0.5-0.7 microns (d50). Additional formulations can be produced to your specifications. Composite Cathodes Composite cathodes based on mixtures of electrolyte and electrode materials have been shown to improve electrode performance at lower temperatures by increasing the volume of active sites available for electrochemical reactions. The key to achieving high performance in composite electrodes is optimizing the dispersion of the electrolyte and electrode phases, which is accomplished through FCM’s patent-pending processes. We offer yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) or gadolinium doped ceria (GDC) electrolytes admixed with either LSM, LSF, or LSCF electrode materials. These composite electrode materials are produced with surface areas of 4 to 8 m2/gram, and the electrolyte content is 30-40 volume percent. We can provide alternative composite electrode formulations, with different electrode or electrolyte compositions, and/or different electrolyte contents. Screen Printing Inks All of Fuel Cell Material’s electrode materials are available as screen printing inks, which can be diluted for other methods of electrode deposition (e.g., spraying or dip coating). Selecting Cathode Formulations The optimum electrode material for a given application depends on thermal expansion of the electrode material, chemical compatibility of the electrode with the electrolyte material being used, and the target operating temperature range. Selection criteria for cathode formulations are provided in Table 1. Table 1. Fuel cell cathode formulations. | | | LSM15 | (La0.85Sr0.15)MnO3 | 10 | YSZ | 800 to 1000 | | LSM20 | (La0.80Sr0.20)MnO3 | 11 | YSZ | 800 to 1000 | | LSF20 | (La0.80Sr0.20)FeO3 | 13 | YSZ, GDC, LSGM | 750 to 900 | | LSF40 | (La0.60Sr0.40)FeO3 | 15 | GDC | 750 to 900 | | LSCF6428 | (La0.60Sr0.40)(Fe0.80Co0.20)O3 | 15 | GDC | 700 to 750 | | LSM/YSZ | 30 vol% YSZ | 10 | YSZ | 800 to 900 | | LSM/GDC | 40 vol% GDC | 12 | YSZ, GDC, LSGM | 750 to 900 | | LSF20/GDC | 40 vol% GDC | 13 | YSZ, GDC, LSGM | 700 to 900 | | LSF40/GDC | 40 vol% GDC | 14 | GDC, LSGM | 700 to 900 | | LSCF6428/GDC | 30 vol% GDC | 14 | GDC, LSGM | 650 to 750 | 
Figure 1. SEM micrographs of screen printed composite (LSF40/GDC) electrode coating. 
Figure 2. Electrical conductivity of perovskite electrode materials. |