Effect of ceria on properties of yttrium-doped strontium titanate ceramics

This work reports the preparation and properties of the ceramic mixtures of the A-site deficient perovskite Sr0.94Y0.04TiO3 (SYT) with CeO2 in a range of ratios with a view to establishing their potential as anode materials for solid oxide fuel cells. Good electrical conductivity that decreased with increasing CeO2 content was observed on reduction in forming gas. The composition with 50 wt.% of CeO2 showed the conductivity of 7.0 S/cm at 900 °C in forming gas. The thermal expansion of SYT–CeO2 ceramics in forming gas and in air were investigated in the range 25–900 °C at a ramping rate of 3 °C/min and thermal expansion coefficients were determined. The addition of ceria was found to have a positive influence on the catalytic behavior of SYT–CeO2 ceramics towards steam methane reforming.