• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.145-150
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• 2013

Optimal preparation guidelines of a cathode catalyst layer by non-precious metal catalysts were evaluated based on electrochemical performance in single-chamber microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Experiments for catalyst loading rate revealed that iron(II) phthalocyanine (FePc) can be a promising alternative, comparable to platinum (Pt) and cobalt tetramethoxyphenylporphyrin (CoTMPP), including effects of substrate concentration. Results showed that using an optimal FePc loading of $1mg/cm^2$ was equivalent to a Pt loading of $0.35mg/cm^2$ on the basis of maximum power density. Given higher loading rates or substrate concentrations, FePc proved to be a better alternative for Pt than CoTMPP. Under the optimal loading rate, it was further revealed that 40 wt% of FePc to carbon support allowed for the best power generation. These results suggest that proper control of the non-precious metal catalyst layer and substrate concentration are highly interrelated, and reveal how those combinations promote the economic power generation of single-chamber MFCs.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.6-10
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• 2015

Enzyme fuel cells were composed of enzyme anode and PEMFC cathode. Enzyme anodes was fabricated by compression of a mixture of graphite particle, glucose oxidase as a enzyme and ferrocene as a mediator, and then coated with Nafion ionomer. Open circuit voltage (OCV) were measured with variation of anode manufacture factors, to find optimum condition of enzyme anode. Optimum pressure was 9.0 MPar for enzyme anode pressing process. Highest OCV was obtained at 60% graphite composition in enzyme anode. Optimum glucose concentration was 1.7mol/l in anode substrate solution and enzyme activity of anode was stable for 7 days.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.130-145
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• 2019

Widespread commercialization of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is expected to be realized in various application fields with the advent of cost-effective fabrication of cells and stacks in high volumes. Cost-reduction efforts have focused on production yield, power density, operation temperature, and continuous manufacturing. In this article, we examine several issues associated with processing for SOFCs from the standpoint of the bimodal packing model, considering the external constraints imposed by rigid substrates. Optimum compositions of composite cathode materials with high volume fractions of the second phase (particles dispersed in matrix) have been analyzed using the bimodal packing model. Constrained sintering of thin electrolyte layers is also discussed in terms of bimodal packing, with emphasis on the clustering of dispersed particles during anisotropic shrinkage. Finally, the structural transition of dispersed particle clusters during constrained sintering has been correlated with the structural stability of thin-film electrolyte layers deposited on porous solid substrates.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.160-166
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• 2019

In this study, we investigated the long-term stability of Nd₂NiO₄ solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathodes to evaluate their chromium poisoning tolerance. Symmetrical cells consisting of Nd2NiO4 electrodes and a yttria-stabilized zirconia electrolyte were fabricated and the cell potential and polarization resistance were measured at 850 ℃ in the presence of gaseous chromium species for 800 h. Up to 500 h of operation, the cell potential remained constant at 500 mA/㎠. However, it increased slightly over the operation duration of 550-800 h. No appreciable increase was observed in the polarization resistance of the Nd₂NiO₄ cathode during the entire operation of 800 h. Physicochemical examinations revealed that the gaseous chromium species did not form chromium-related contamination not only in the Nd₂NiO₄ cathode but also at the cathode/electrolyte interface. The results demonstrated that Nd₂NiO₄ is resistant to chromium poisoning, and hence is a potential alternative to standard perovskite cathodes.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.110-115
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• 2011

$Gd_2O_3$-doped $CeO_2$ (GDC) and $La_{0.6}Sr_{0.4}Co_{0.2}Fe_{0.8}O_3$ (LSCF) composite cathode materials were prepared in order to be applied to intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. The electrochemical polarization was evaluated using ac impedance spectroscopy involving geometric restriction at the interface between an ionic electrolyte and a mixed-conducting cathode. In order to optimize the cathode composites applicable to a GDC electrolyte, the cathode composites were evaluated in terms of polarization losses with regard to a given electrolyte, i.e., GDC electrolyte. The polarization increased significantly with decreasing temperature and was critically dependent on the compositions of the composite cathodes. The optimized cathode composite was found to consist of GDC 50 wt% and LSCF 50 wt%; the corresponding normalized polarization loss was calculated to be 0.64 at $650^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2012

The characteristic features of solid oxide fuel cells are reviewed from the viewpoint of the thermodynamic variables to be developed inside cells/stacks particularly in terms of gradients of chemical potential, electrical potential and temperature and corresponding flows of air, fuel, electricity and heat. Examples of abrupt destruction of SOFC systems were collected from failures in controlling their steady flows, while continuous degradation was caused by materials behaviors under gradients of chemical potentials during a long operation. The local equilibrium approximation has been adopted in NEDO project on the durability/reliability of SOFC stacks/systems; this makes it possible to examine the thermodynamic stability/reactivity as well as mass transfer under the thermodynamic variable gradients. Major results of the NEDO project are described with a focus on degradation/deterioration of electrolyte and electrode materials.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.248-259
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• 2014

Acceptor-doped cerium pyrophosphates have shown significant proton conductivity of > $10^{-2}Scm^{-1}$ in the range of $100-300^{\circ}C$ and are considered promising candidates for use as electrolytes in proton-conducting, ceramic electrolyte fuel cells (PCFCs). But, cerium pyrophosphates themselves do not have structural protons, and protons incorporate into their material bulk only as impurities on exposure to a hydrogen-containing atmosphere. However, proton incorporation and proton conduction in these materials are expected to be affected by factors such as the nature (ionic size and charge) and concentration of the aliovalent dopant, processing history (synthesis route and microstructure), and the presence of residual phosphorous phosphate ($P_mO_n$) phases. An exact understanding of these aspects has not yet been achieved, leading to large differences in the magnitude of proton conductivity of cerium pyrophosphates reported in various studies. Herein, we systematically address some of these aspects, and present an overview of factors affecting proton conductivity inacceptor-doped $CeP_2O_7$.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.842-846
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• 2008

Layer-by-layer assembled multilayers of poly(ethersulfone)s were deposited on the surface of Nafion membrane for the application of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). Aminated poly(ethersulfone) (APES) and sulfonated poly(ethersulfone) (SPES) were used as a polycation and a polyanion for fabrication of the multilayer films. UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy verified a linear build-up of the multilayers of APES and SPES on the surface of Nafion. Thin multilayer films deposited on the Nafion membrane enabled methanol permeability of the membrane to decrease by 78% in comparison with the pristine Nafion. The performance of DMFCs in concentrated methanol was highly enhanced by using the multilayer modified Nafion.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.43-48
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• 2002

In this study, high performance electrode catalyst was developed in fabrication of membrane electrode assembly for PEMFCs(Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells). The I-V characteristics were measured to evaluate the influence of Nafion solution and Pt loading amount in the catalyst composition. The electrode characteristics were also investigated with respect to temperature change. The electrode performance was optimized at Nafion 5 wt% and 0.5 mg Pt/$\textrm{cm}^2$ content. The increase in the concentration of Nafion solution resulted in the decrease in electrode performance. At $80^{\circ}C$ of unit cell, I-V characteristics excelled those obtained at lower temperature. There was no difference in performance at low current density, but the improvement of voltage value in higher temperature could be found at high current density.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.32-38
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• 2011

The composite barium strontium cobalt ferrite (BSCF) cathodes were investigated in the intermediate temperature range of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The characteristics and electrochemical performances of composited BSCF/samarium doped ceria (SDC); BSCF/gadolinium doped ceria (GDC); and BSCF/SDC/GDC were compared to single BSCF cathode. The BSCF used in this study were synthesized using glycine nitrate process and mechanically mixing was used to fabricate a composite cathode. Using a composite form, the thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) could be reduced and BSCF/SDC/GDC exhibited the lowest TEC value at $18.95{\times}10^{-6}K^{-1}$. The electrochemical performance from half cells and single cells exhibited nearly the same trend. All the composite cathodes gave higher electrochemical performance than the single BSCF cathode (0.22 $Wcm^{-2}$); however, when two kinds of electrolyte were used (BSCF/SDC/GDC, 0.36$Wcm^{-2}$), the electrochemical performance was lower than when the BSCF/SDC (0.45 $Wcm^{-2}$) or BSCF/GDC (0.45 $Wcm^{-2}$) was applied as cathode ($650^{\circ}C$, 97%$H_2$/3%$H_2O$ to the anode and ambient air to the cathode).