Fabrication of an anode-supported yttria-stabilized zirconia thin film for solid-oxide fuel cells via wet powder spraying

The wet powder spraying (WPS) technique was used for the deposition of dense and thin (Y2O3)0.08(ZrO2)0.92 (YSZ-8) films on an anode substrate being used for fuel cell applications. Both agglomeration of the powder and the presence of organics in the substrate have a significant effect on the quality and densification of the thin electrolyte layer. High-energy ball milling effectively broke up the agglomerates and enhanced the packing density of the green layer. Pre-calcination of the substrate at ~1000 °C enhanced the match of sintering shrinkage between the electrolyte layer and the substrate and improved the quality of the YSZ-8 thin film significantly. Crack-free dual-layer assembly with a highly densified YSZ-8 film as thin as 10 μm was successfully fabricated by optimizing the fabrication parameters. The cells with a La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 cathode showed a high open circuit voltage of 1.071 V and a peak power density of 894 mW cm−2 at 850 °C operated with hydrogen fuel.