The Effect of Chromium Oxyhydroxide on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Hexavalent chromium species like the oxyhydroxide, CrO{sub 2}(OH){sub 2}, or hexoxide, CrO{sub 3}, are electrochemically reduced to Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} in solid oxide fuel cells and adversely affect the cell operating potentials. Using a narrowly focused beam from the Advanced Photon Source, such chromium oxide deposits were unequivocally identified in the active region of the cathode by X-ray diffraction, suggesting that the triple phase boundaries were partially blocked. Under fuel cell operating conditions, the reaction has an equilibrium potential of about 0.9 V and the rate of chromium oxide deposition is therefore dependent on the operating potential of the cell. It becomes diffusion limited after several hours of steady operation. At low operating potentials, lanthanum manganite cathodes begin to be reduced to MnO, which reacts with the chromium oxide to form the MnCr{sub 2}O{sub 4} spinel.