Effects of Fe2O3 doping on structural and electrical properties of 8 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cells.

The effects of doping a trace of Fe₂O₃ on the structural and electrical properties of 8 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) are investigated. The 8YSZ electrolytes doped with various Fe₂O₃ contents are applied to a solid oxide fuel cell to confirm whether it is positive or negative for SOFC performances. In this study, the 8YSZ electrolyte with a trace of Fe₂O₃ shows the increased oxygen vacancies and better ionic conductivity. The optimum Fe₂O₃ doping content is 500 ppm at a sintering temperature of 1400 °C. The 8YSZ electrolyte doped with 500 ppm Fe₂O₃ shows 0.122 S cm⁻¹ and 0.598 W cm⁻² at 800 °C in the ionic conductivity and maximum power density, respectively. The power density of the cell based on the 8YSZ electrolyte doped with 500 ppm Fe₂O₃ is about 1.5 times higher than the cell using the pristine 8YSZ electrolyte. Thus, the introduction of a trace of Fe₂O₃ to the 8YSZ can improve its structural and electrical properties and finally SOFC performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]