Nickel-Based Anodes for Single-Chamber Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: A Catalytic Study

Single-chamber solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are an alternative concept to traditional SOFCs. Conventional anodes, which consist of a cermet of metallic Ni and an ionic conductor, have to work under a mixture of hydrocarbon and oxygen. This paper presents a catalytic study of C3H8 oxidation by Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 and nickel. The influences of temperature and oxygen to propane ratio on the nickel oxidation state are clarified, thanks to catalytic tests and electrical conductivity measurements. The results show that the temperature must be higher than a critical value to maintain the nickel particles in the metallic state. Furthermore, at high temperatures, the conversion of the initial mixture leads to the water-gas-shift equilibrium. (C) 2010 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3430074] All rights reserved.