A simple, rapid spray method for preparing anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells with GDC electrolyte thin films

A simple, rapid and cost-effective technique, spray dry co-pressing process, was developed to prepare dense electrolyte thin films on porous anode substrates. Gadolinium doped ceria (GDC) electrolyte thin film with the thickness of 4 μm was prepared successfully on porous NiO–GDC anode substrate by the spray dry co-pressing process. The GDC electrolyte thin film was dense and uniform, and was well bonded to the porous NiO–GDC anode substrate. An anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with 4 μm GDC electrolyte thin film was fabricated and its performance was evaluated at 400–600 °C with humidified hydrogen (3 vol.% H2O) as the fuel. The single cell showed an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.91 V and maximum power density of 771 mW cm−2 at 600 °C. The results demonstrate that the dense GDC thin films prepared by the spray dry co-pressing process are suitable for low-temperature anode-supported SOFC applications.