Lucienne Buannic

From Grey Lab Page

Why are we interested in studying electrolyte materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs)? SOFCs have a lot of advantages: they can work on a continuous basis as long as the fuel is provided and they do not release any harmful by-products. They also have a great efficiency, up to 60% compare to 35% for a car engine. Finally, unlike for other types of fuel cells, fossil fuels can be reformed inside the cell reducing the overall operating costs. In order to improve SOFCs conductivity properties, we are currently studying some of the material used as the electrolyte component of the cell like barium zirconate. Doped with yttrium, this material becomes an oxygen ion conductor at temperatures above 700°C. Once hydrated, the material turns out to be an active conductor of protonic defects at temperatures between 400°C and 600°C, reducing some of the mechanical stability issues occurring at higher temperatures. Using solid state NMR, we are trying to analyse the local structure and the conduction pathways of the material in order to optimize the conduction properties of the electrolyte component of the SOFC.