MSE PhD Prospectus Defense of Paul Gasper

TITLE: Improving Electrochemical Performance of Nickel – Yttria Stabilized Zirconia Cermet Anodes Emoplyoing Nickel Nanoparticles

ABSTRACT: Nickel-Ytrria Stabilized Zirconia (Ni-YSZ) cermets are used as anodes in solid oxide fuel cells. These anodes are stable for tens of thousands of hours during operation and have low cost. In this work Ni-YSZ anodes are infiltrated with nickel nanoparticles to increase the three-phase-boundary length and improve their performance. However, the infiltrated nanoparticles are isolated from one another, so they are not electrochemically active. It is found that low anodic potentials cause nickel nanoparticles on YSZ to spread, enabling them to percolate. The influence of the anodic potential and the duration of its application on nickel nanoparticle spreading, the electrochemical performance of the anode, and the stability of nickel nanoparticles within the anode are explored. Other methods for connecting nickel nanoparticles to facilitate electronic percolation, such as infiltration of an additional electronic conducting oxide, are also explored as possible means to improve performance.

COMMITTEE: Advisor: Uday B. Pal, MSE/ME; Soumendra N. Basu, MSE/ME; Srikanth Gopalan, MSE/ME; Chuanhua Duan, MSE/ME