Phase evolution and enhanced sinterability of cold sintered Fe2O3-doped 8YSZ

Using an Y(NO3)3 solution as a liquid medium, an Fe2O3-doped 8YSZ (8 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia) electrolyte can be fabricated by a cold sintering process (CSP) and a conventional sintering (CS) at 1100 °C, and a relative density of more than 95% can be achieved. The phase structure, sintering behaviour and electrical properties of the 8YSZ samples were investigated in this study. The results indicate that the sinterability of the 8YSZ electrolyte can be enhanced by the CSP. Moreover, the formation of the monoclinic phase originating from the Fe2O3 dopant was greatly suppressed by introducing the Y(NO3)3 solution into the CSP, which greatly improved the electrical properties (i.e. the ionic conductivity) of the 8YSZ electrolyte. The sintered Fe2O3-doped 8YSZ provides support for the fabrication of high-performance solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) in a convenient and energy-saving way.