Anisotropic Electric Conductivity and Battery Performance in C-axis Oriented Lanthanum Silicate Oxyapatite Prepared by Slip Casting in a Strong Magnetic Field

Lanthanum silicate oxyapatite (LSO) has superior properties as a solid electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications. This is because LSO has a higher oxide-ion conductivity compared to yttria-stabilized zirconia at temperatures below 600 degrees C. Textured LSO bulk ceramics were fabricated based on a magnetic field-assisted colloidal processing technique. The c-axis of the LSO was aligned parallel to the applied magnetic field during the consolidation by slip casting. The anisotropic electric conductivity of the textured bulk ceramics was evaluated by the impedance spectroscopy method. It was confirmed that very high conductivity was obtained along the c-axis. Higher fuel cell performance was demonstrated in the textured LSO compared to the random LSO.