• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.257-265
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• 2001

Placing a hydrogen conducting, methanol impermeable metallic barrier like palladium (Pd) is a well-known method for preventing methanol crossover through solid polymer electrolyte for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). Applying a bias potential between the anode and the barrier can further develop this concept so that the hydrogen transfer rate is enhanced. Since hydrogen diffuses in Pd as atomic form while it moves through nafion electrolyte as ion, it has to be reduced or oxidized whenever it passes the interface formed by Pd and the electrolyte. We performed experiments to measure the hydrogen transport through the Pd membrane placed in Nafion electrolyte of hydrogen/oxygen fuel cell (PEMFC). Applying a bias potential between the hydrogen electrode of the cell and the Pd membrane facilitated the hydrogen passage through the Pd membrane. The results show that the cell current measured with the Pd membrane placed reached almost 40 % the value measured with the cell without Pd membrane. It was found that the current flown through the bias path is only a few percent of the cell current.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.101-106
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• 2017

$Li_2SiO_3$ was used as a coating material to improve the electrochemical performance of $Li[Ni_{0.8}Co_{0.15}Al_{0.05}]O_2$. $Li_2SiO_3$ is not only a stable oxide but also an ionic conductor and can, therefore, facilitate the movement of lithium ions at the cathode/electrolyte interface. The surface of the $Li_2SiO_3$-coated $Li[Ni_{0.8}Co_{0.15}Al_{0.05}]O_2$ was covered with island-type $Li_2SiO_3$ particles, and the coating process did not affect the structural integrity of the $Li[Ni_{0.8}Co_{0.15}Al_{0.05}]O_2$ powder. The $Li_2SiO_3$ coating improved the discharge capacity and rate capability; moreover, the $Li_2SiO_3$-coated electrodes showed reduced impedance values. The surface of the lithium-ion battery cathode is typically attacked by the HF-containing electrolyte, which forms an undesired surface layer that hinders the movement of lithium ions and electrons. However, the $Li_2SiO_3$ coating layer can prevent the undesired side reactions between the cathode surface and the electrolyte, thus enhancing the rate capability and discharge capacity. The thermal stability of $Li[Ni_{0.8}Co_{0.15}Al_{0.05}]O_2$ was also improved by the $Li_2SiO_3$ coating.

• 한국세라믹학회지
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• 제49권5호
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• pp.404-411
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• 2012

The reliability of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) particularly depends on the high quality of solid oxide electrolytes. The application of thinner electrolytes and multi electrolyte layers requires a more reliable characterization method. Most of the investigations on thin film solid electrolytes have been made for the parallel transport along the interface, which is not however directly related to the fuel cell performance of those electrolytes. In this work an array of ion-blocking metallic Ti/Au microelectrodes with about a $160{\mu}m$ diameter was applied on top of an ultrathin ($1{\mu}m$) yttria-stabilized-zirconia/gadolinium-doped-ceria (YSZ/GDC) heterolayer solid electrolyte in a micro-SOFC prepared by PLD as well as an 8-${\mu}m$ thick YSZ layer by screen printing, to study the transport characteristics in the perpendicular direction relevant for fuel cell operation. While the capacitance variation in the electrode area supported the working principle of the measurement technique, other local variations could be related to the quality of the electrolyte layers and deposited electrode points. While the small electrode size and low temperature measurements increaseed the electrolyte resistances enough for the reliable estimation, the impedance spectra appeared to consist of only a large electrode polarization. Modulus representation distinguished two high frequency responses with resistance magnitude differing by orders of magnitude, which can be ascribed to the gadolinium-doped ceria buffer electrolyte layer with a 200 nm thickness and yttria-stabilized zirconia layer of about $1{\mu}m$. The major impedance response was attributed to the resistance due to electron hole conduction in GDC due to the ion-blocking top electrodes with activation energy of 0.7 eV. The respective conductivity values were obtained by model analysis using empirical Havriliak-Negami elements and by temperature adjustments with respect to the conductivity of the YSZ layers.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.129-135
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• 1996

전해질로써 $Nafion^{(R)}$과 같은 고체고분자막과 수소/산소 가스가 계면을 형성할 경우의 전압전류특성을 측정하였다. 사용된 가스는 수소와 산소의 조성비를 달리하여 혼합한후 공급하였다. 사용된 전극은 상업용 탄소 기체 확산 전극을 이용하였으며 전극의 분산된 촉매와 전해질과의 접촉을 용이하게 하기위해 5% $Nafion^{(R)}$을 발라주었다. 직류전원 공급장치를 이용하여 산화 전극과 환원 전극에 걸어주는 전압을 조정하였다. 전압전류의 분석결과로부터 에너지효율은 수소/산소혼합물의 수소농도에 예민하게 의존함을 알 수 있었다.

• 한국세라믹학회지
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• 제43권12호
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• pp.788-797
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• 2006

An anode-supported SOFC single cell having $5{\mu}m$ thin electrolyte was fabricated cost-effectively by tape casting, laminating, and co-filing of anode (NiO-YSZ), cathode (LSM-YSZ), and electrolyte (YSZ) components. The optimal slurry compositions of the green tapes for SOFC components were determined by an analysis of the mean diameter, the slurry viscosity, the tensile strength/strain of the green tapes, and their green microstructures. The single cells with a dense electrolyte and porous electrodes could be co-fired successfully at $1325\sim1350^{\circ}C$ by controlling the contents of pore former and the ratio of coarse YSZ and fine YSZ in the anode and the cathode. The single cell co-fired at $1350^{\circ}C$ showed $100.2mWcm^{-2}$ of maximum power density at $800^{\circ}C$ but it was impossible to apply it to operate at low temperature because of low performance and high ASR, which were attributed to formation of the secondary phases in the cathode and the interface between the electrolyte and the cathode.

• 한국전기전자재료학회논문지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.18-25
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• 1998

G $d_{0.2}$C $e_{0.8}$ $O_{1.9}$(CGO) for electrolyte and L $a_{0.5}$S $r_{0.5}$Mn $O_3$(LSM50) for cathode in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells(SOFC) were synthesized by citrate process. Specimens were prepared with sintering temperatures at 110$0^{\circ}C$, 120$0^{\circ}C$ and 130$0^{\circ}C$, which were fabricated by slurry coating with citric acid contents. Interfacial resistance was measured between cathode and electrolyte using AC-impedance analyzer. With various citric acid content, the degree of agglomeration for the initial particles changed. Also sintering temperature changed the particle size and the degree of densification of cathode. Factors affecting the interfacial resistance were adherent degree of the electrolyte and cathode, distribution of TPB(three phase boundaries, TPB i.e., electrolyte/electrode/gas phase area) and porosity of cathode. By increasing the sintering temperature, particle size and densification of the cathode were increased. And then, TPB area which occurs catalytic reaction was reduced and so interfacial resistance was increased.sed.sed.d.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제22권5호
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• pp.592-598
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• 2011

Electrode of solid oxide fuel cell must have sufficient porosity to allow gas transport to the interface with electrolyte effectively but high porosity has a negative impact on structural stability in electrode support. Thus, the upper limit of porosity is based on consideration of mechanical strength of electrode. In this study, the effect of microstructure of Ni-YSZ anode supported SOFC on the mechanical and electrical property was investigated. LSCF composite cathode and 8YSZ electrolyte were used. The porosity of the anode was modified by the amount of graphite powder and added graphite contents were 24, 18, 12 vol%, respectively. The higher the porosity, the better the electrical performance, $P_{max}$. While the flexural strength decreased with increasing the amount of graphite. But the rate of increase in electrical performance and the rate of decrease in mechanical strength were not directly proportional to amount of graphite. The optimum graphite content incorporating both electrical and mechanical performance was 18 vol%.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.179-184
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• 2016

The interface between the surface of a cathode material and the electrolyte gives rise to surface reactions such as solid electrolyte interface (SEI) and chemical side reactions. These reactions lead to increased surface resistance and charge transfer resistance. It is consequently necessary to improve the electrochemical characteristics by suppressing these reactions. In order to suppress unnecessary surface reactions, we coated cathode material using polypropylene (PP). The PP coating layer effectively reduced the SEI film that is generated after a 4.3 V initial charging process. By mitigating the formation of the SEI film, the PP-coated Li[(Ni_0.6Co_0.1Mn_0.3)_0.36(Ni_0.80Co_0.15Al0.05)_0.64)]O₂(NCS) electrode provided enhanced transport of Li⁺ ions due to reduced SEI resistance (R_SEI) and charge transfer resistance (R_ct). The initial charge and discharge efficiency of the PP-coated NCS electrode was 96.2 % at a current density of 17 mA/g in a voltage range of 3.0 ~ 4.3 V, whereas the efficiency of the NCS electrode was only 94.7 %. The presence of the protective PP layer on the cathode improved the thermal stability by reducing the generated heat, and this was confirmed via DSC analysis by an increased exothermic peak.

• 한국표면공학회지
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• 제49권6호
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• pp.498-506
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• 2016

Electrochemical measurement using a LSCF6428 electrode was performed to estimate the oxygen potential gradient in the electrode layer and a long time stability test was performed by applied potential to learn the overpotential effect on the LSCF6428 electrode. By fitting the observed impedance spectra, it was obtained that the amount of faradic current decreased with distance from cathode/electrolyte interface. Oxygen potential gradient was estimated to occur within 1 um region from the cathode/electrolyte interface at an oxygen partial pressure of 10-1 bar. The segregation of cation rich phases in the LSCF6428 electrode suggests that kinetic decomposition took place. However, impedance response after applying the potential showed no changes in the electrode compared with before applying potential. The obtained results suggest that segregation of a secondary phase in a LSCF6428 cathode is not related to performance degradation for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).

• 세라미스트
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.381-392
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• 2019

Recently, demands for lithium-ion batteries (LIB) in various fields are increasing. In particular, understanding of the reaction mechanism occurring at the electrode-electrolyte surface/interface is significant for the development of advanced LIBs. Meanwhile, research and development of LIBs highly requires a new specific characterization approach. For example, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been utilized to the LIB research field for various purposes such as investigation of topography, electrochemical reactions, ion transport phenomena, and measurement of surface potential at high resolution. Advances in the AFM analysis have made it possible to inspect various material properties such as surface friction and Young's modulus. Therefore, this technique is expected to be a powerful method in the LIB research field. Here, we review and discuss ways to apply AFM to LIB studies.