Exploring the Potential of Cold Sintering for Proton-Conducting Ceramics: A Review

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Ceramic Engineering

Background:

• Proton-conducting ceramic materials, specifically Y2O3-doped BaCeO3-BaZrO3 perovskites (BCZY), are crucial for enhancing solid oxide cells (SOCs) and electrolyzers (SOEs) at intermediate temperatures.
• Conventional high-temperature sintering (>1350 °C) of BCZY electrolytes leads to barium evaporation, altering stoichiometry and reducing device performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the application of the cold sintering process (CSP) for BCZY-type proton-conducting ceramics.
• To highlight the opportunities and challenges associated with using CSP for fabricating solid oxide cell electrolytes.
• To provide insights into future trends and perspectives for CSP in ceramic proton conductor synthesis.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on cold sintering process (CSP) applied to BCZY-type materials.
• Analysis of CSP's ability to achieve dense ceramic electrolytes at low temperatures (<300 °C) under moderate pressure.
• Evaluation of CSP's impact on material stoichiometry and potential for improved SOC performance.

Main Results:

• CSP offers a novel, low-temperature (<300 °C) sintering technique for dense ceramic materials.
• This process significantly reduces processing time and avoids high-temperature issues like barium evaporation.
• CSP is a promising method for producing ceramic proton conductors under mild conditions.

Conclusions:

• Cold sintering process (CSP) presents a viable alternative to conventional sintering for BCZY-type proton conductors.
• CSP facilitates the production of high-performance SOC and SOE electrolytes with improved stoichiometry and reduced fabrication costs.
• Further research into CSP applications holds significant potential for advancing intermediate-temperature solid oxide cell technology.