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In this work, we synthesized the glasses of the SiO2-Al2O3-CaO-Na2O-MgO-K2O-B2O3-Y2O3 system and investigated their thermal properties under changes in the ratios between the components in both modifying (MgO/CaO) and glass-forming (SiO2/B2O3) oxides. In addition, the effects of crystallization on both the properties of sealants and their behaviour at the boundary with ceramic yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte have been studied. X-ray diffraction analysis was used to determine the phase composition of the glasses both after quenching, dilatometric measurements and sealing of the glasses with the YSZ ceramic support. The thermal expansion coefficients (CTEs) found for the glasses and glass-ceramics are shown to be in good agreement with those of other cell components. The sealing temperatures of these materials are found to be lower than the operating temperature limit of the interconnector alloy. It is shown that Mg-rich glasses exhibit higher resistance to interaction with Cr compared to other compositions under study. The scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy studies have confirmed the formation of gas-tight connections by the sealants under investigation. The glass demonstrating the highest stability in contact with the Crofer22APU alloy has been tested as a sealant for a tubular cell. This material is established to ensure a tight connection without cracks during operation at 850 °C for 250 h. The materials are thus found to be promising candidates for use as sealants for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The method of isotopic exchange was used to study the kinetics of oxygen exchange and diffusion in complex oxides of LaSrCoFeO ( x = 0.0, y = 0.0; x = 0.6, y = 0.2, 0.4). The rates of oxygen interfacial exchange and its diffusion coefficient were determined for LaCoO at the pressure of 5 torr in the temperature range of 600–850°C and at the temperature of 700°C in the pressure range of 1–70 torr. The contributions of the three exchange types were calculated. The order of the dependence of the interfacial exchange rate on the oxygen pressure was 0.51 ± 0.01. In the case of LaSrCoFeO ( y = 0.2, 0.4) in the temperature range of 600–900°C at the oxygen pressure of 10 torr, the oxygen exchange rates and diffusion coefficients were determined in the material bulk and in the subsurface region; contributions of the three types of exchange were calculated. The paper considers the mechanism of oxygen exchange and diffusion as compared to nonstoichiometry in the oxygen sublattice of the LaSrCoFeO oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrodes of solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) must be characterized by high conductivity to decrease ohmic losses and sufficient porosity to provide high gas diffusion rate. In the cases, when the SOFC electrodes are substrates, they must be synthesized at the temperature above the temperature of formation of their solid-electrolyte coating. Herewith, manufacturing of supporting electrodes with the required micro-structure is rather complicated. The present paper studies the effect of the method of manufacturing of the initial LaSrMnO (LSM) powders, their degree of dispersion, introduction of sintering additives and pore agents on their microstructure, conductivity, and possibility of adjusting the temperature of SOFC cathodic substrate formation at which the required characteristics are reached. It is shown that sintering of cathodic substrates to the relative density of 65–70% can be carried out at the temperatures from 1050 to 1350–1400°C, which would allow obtaining electrolyte films of powders with different sintering ability on such substrates. The average pore size in cathodic substrates can be varied in the range of 0.4 to 2.5 μm by using the initial LSM powder with different dispersion degree and by employing graphite as a pore agent. At 900°C, conductivity of cathodic substrates of LSM grows at an increase in their relative density from 50% to 70% approximately from 50 to 100 S/cm and weakly depends on the dispersion degree of the initial powders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]