Mechanical performance of LaCrO3 doped with strontium and cobalt for SOFC interconnect

Doped lanthanum chromite was investigated as ceramic interconnect materials to be used in high-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In this work, a La0.80Sr0.20Cr0.92Co0.08O3 powder produced by combustion synthesis was used to obtain dense specimens. Powders were uniaxially compacted under a load of 30 MPa and sintered at 1500 °C for 4 h in air. The sintered specimens were characterized in terms of crystalline phases, density and porosity, strength and hardness measurements, deformation behavior, fracture mode and microstructure aspects. The results have shown dense samples (6.09 g/cm3) with strength and hardness values of 62 MPa and 5.98 GPa, respectively. Surface micrograph indicates a mixture of inter- and transgranular fracture modes, a brittle deformation behavior and grain size around 3 μm.