Pd-impregnated SYT/LDC composite as sulfur-tolerant anode for solid oxide fuel cells

An Sr0.88Y0.08TiO3-δ (SYT)/La0.4Ce0.6O1.8 (LDC) composite impregnated with Pd was evaluated as a sulfur-tolerant anode for the La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.83Mg0.17O3-δ (LSGM)-supported cells. The impregnation of Pd into the porous SYT/LDC anode was found to significantly enhance the anode performance. With the addition of 1.5 wt.% Pd into the anode, the anodic overpotential was reduced to about half of the original value. The single cell with the Pd-impregnated SYT/LDC anode showed a maximum power density of 1006 and 577 mW cm-2 at 850 and 800 °C in dry H2, respectively, which was more than twice of that prior to impregnation. The Pd-impregnated composite anode exhibited good tolerance to sulfur, with essentially no decay in performance in H2 containing up to 50 ppm H2S. © 2009 Elsevier B.V.