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Updated: Dec 3, 2025
Probing and Mapping Electrode Surfaces in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Published on: September 20, 2012
Characterization of Glass-Ceramic Sealant for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells at Operating Conditions by Electrochemical
Roberto Spotorno1, Marlena Ostrowska1, Simona Delsante1
1Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy.
Abstract:
A commercially available glass-ceramic composition is applied on a ferritic stainless steel (FSS) substrate reproducing a type of interface present in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) stacks. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is used to study the electrical response of the assembly in the temperature range of 380-780 °C and during aging for 250 h at 780 °C. Post-experiment analyses, performed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), and along cross-sections by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, highlight the microstructural changes promoted by aging conditions over time. In particular, progressive crystallization of the glass-ceramic, high temperature corrosion of the substrate and diffusion of Fe and Cr ions from the FSS substrate into the sealant influence the electrical response of the system under investigation. The electrical measurements show an increase in conductivity to 5 × 10-6 S∙cm-1, more than one order of magnitude below the maximum recommended value.
