Low Cost Interconnect Coatings for Enhanced R-SOFC Performance (C59-09a)

Reversible solid oxide fuel cell requires new stack components in order to reduce fabrication cost and improve durability and operational lifetime. Interconnects are a critical component of the reversible solid oxide fuel cells and are required to maintain electrical conductivity without affecting the performance of the anode or cathode during operation. Commonly, interconnects are coated with manganese cobalt spinels to enable improved operational electrical conductivity and minimize anode and cathode degradation. However, these coatings have been shown to delaminate from the interconnect substrate due to chromium oxide scale formation between the coating and the substrate. New interconnect coatings that will eliminate this delamination behavior will be developed. The assembled team will develop and demonstrate an integrated spinel coating system that can be applied to commercially available reversible solid oxide fuel cells interconnect substrates using a scalable low-cost manufacturing technology. The coating will consist of a manganese cobalt spinel with a rare earth addition to reduce the thickness of the chromium oxide scale and improve adhesion to the interconnect substrate. Phase I will demonstrate the reversible solid oxide fuel cells performance of a manganese cobalt spinel with a rare earth addition to the spinel coating. The scalable, low-cost manufacturing ready approach to apply, bond, and oxidize manganese cobalt rare earth coating will be developed in Phase I. The results of this study will enable corrosion mechanisms to be identified and cost/ lifetime estimates to be prepared. These results will enable identification of commercial stack interconnect components for testing at academic and industrial partners in Phase II. The use of reversible solid oxide fuel cells as an alternative energy source or for the production of hydrogen, offers the possibility of utilizing more green energy power sources for energy sustainability and reduced energy dependence on foreign oil. The development of an inexpensive manufacturing process for conductive interconnect coating that would lowering stack fabrication costs while improving performance would bring this technology one step closer to being a commercially viable alternative energy source.