Proton conducting BCY layers produced by wet powder spraying

In this work the fabrication of a BaCe0.85Y0.15O2.925 (BCY) dense and thin layer by wet powder spraying (WPS) was investigated, with the aim to produce an anode-supported protonic cell using relatively simple and low cost processes. The spraying deposition was performed on Ni-BCY anode supports. In order to better match the shrinkage of supporting anode and electrolyte, the anode was made of two overlapping layers with different porosity, i.e. a gas distributor layer with higher porosity and a denser anode functional layer (AFL) as substrate for spraying. To obtain a crack-free dense electrolyte layer an appropriate ethanol-based suspension was studied, as well different spray velocities, deposition times and sintering conditions. As a final result, less than 10 μm thick and dense BCY electrolyte layers were produced. The samples morphology was observed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with EDS micro-analysis. A Pt electrode was deposited as cathode layer on the electrolyte by slurry coating, to perform a basic electrochemical investigation of the cell performances.