Formation of GDC electrolyte layers on the surface of NiO/GDC anode via laser thermolysis of cerium and gadolinium nitrates

Abstract

In this work, the potential of using selective laser sintering (SLS) to fabricate gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC, Ce0.8Gd0.2O2) electrolyte layers for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) using cerium and gadolinium oxide precursors was explored. A method for preparing electrolytes for SOFCs using laser post-treatment was proposed. Laser processing parameters were investigated to optimize conditions for precursor thermal decomposition and electrolyte layer formation. It was shown that, by using a pulsed CO2 laser, the formation of dense GDC layers could be achieved at temperatures of 550–600 °C for 10−4 s, which is significantly less as compared to those for conventional sintering methods, 1300–1400 °C and over 24 h respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the absence of impurity phases and demonstrated high uniformity of the fabricated layers. The proposed approach allows for reduction of the number of manufacturing steps, enhances the accuracy of microstructure formation, and minimizes energy costs, making it promising for commercial SOFC manufacturing.

Keywords

• Fuel cells
• 3D printing
• Laser sintering
• Cerium
• Gadolinium
• Additive manufacturing technologies