Compatibility studies of La1.5Sr0.5Ga3O7.25 electrolyte with different cathode materials

Melilite-type gallate, La1.5Sr0.5Ga3O7.25 (LSG), appears to be promising as electrolyte material for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). To achieve good cell performances, the cathode material must be chemically stable at high temperature, the reactivity among adjacent components must be at minimum and the thermal expansion must match. In this study the compatibility between LSG and doped lanthanum ferrite La0.8Sr0.2Fe0.9Cu0.1O3-d (LSF9C1) as cathode material was investigated. A 50:50 mixture of the two as-prepared materials was pressed in the form of pellet and thermally treated in the range 773-1573 K. After the thermal treatments, X-ray diffraction patterns of the mixtures were recorded to check for formation of new phases resulting from reaction between the two phases. This study the high stability and compatibility of the LSG-LSF9C1 system to be used for IT-SOFC applications.