Abstract
The accelerated degradation of a commercial LSCF/YDC/YSZ/Ni-YSZ solid oxide electrolyzer cell (La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ/Y0.1CeO1.95/Y0.08Zr0.92O1.96/Ni-YSZ) contaminated by Si-containing impurities is studied with time under up to − 1.7 A cm−2 applied. Above ~ − 0.6 A cm−2, a new region appears in the polarization curve. This region corresponds to electronic conduction in the yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte, induced by the reduction under high current conditions. A shift in the typical frequencies (relaxation times) toward lower frequencies is then observed for the entire impedance spectra. This shift results finally in the disappearance of the positive loop related to the polarization resistance and the appearance of a negative (inductance type) loop which crosses the real axis (Z’) at the lowest frequencies to become positive again. This is characteristic for an electrode process mode in which the electrochemical redox reactions vanish while the cell current becomes mainly electronic due to the reduction of the YSZ electrolyte. This trend increases with time. Such a characterization of the electronic conduction of the YSZ electrolyte by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy has not been reported to date under electrolysis mode, to the best of our knowledge. Post-mortem analysis by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) shows detrimental degradation of the electrolyte after only 360 h of overall testing duration with numerous micropores in the YSZ volume, and cracks and delamination at the yttria-doped ceria (YDC)/YSZ interface. EDX analysis reveals (i) a migration of La, Sr, Co, and Fe elements from lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (LSCF) anode to YDC layer and YSZ electrolyte and (ii) a very important shift of Ni from Ni-YSZ cathode to YSZ and YDC, and also to LSCF anode in a lower proportion. This study highlights the critical issue that impurities represent for solid oxide electrolysis cell operation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Goltsov VA, Veziroglu TN (2001) Int J Hydrog Energy 26(9):909–915
Rosen MA, Scott DS (1998) Int J Hydrog Energy 23(8):653–659
Nechache A, Cassir M, Ringuedé A (2014) J Power Sources 258:164–181
Nechache A, Boukamp BA, Cassir M, Ringuedé A (2018) J Solid State Electrochem. First Online https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-018-4116-7
Kharton VV (ed) (2009) Solid state electrochemistry I: fundamentals, materials and their applications. Wiley, Weinheim
Durov AV, Naidich YV, Kostyuk BD (2005) J Mater Sci 40(9-10):2173–2178
Warner TE, Janes R, Edwards PP (1991) J Mater Sci Lett 10(16):937–938
Weininger JL, Zemany PD (1954) J Chem Phys 22(8):1469–1470
Jacquin M, Guillou M, Millet J (1967) CR Acad Sci 264:2101
Etsell TH, Flengas SN (1971) J Electrochem Soc 118(12):1890–1900
Brook RJ, Pelzmann WL, Kroger FA (1971) J Electrochem Soc 118(2):185–192
Perfilev MV, Palguev SF (1967) Electrochem Molten Solid Electrolytes 4:147
Bauerle JE (1969) J Phys Chem Solids 30(12):2657–2670
Karpachev SV, Ovchinnikov YM (1969) Soy Electrochem 5:181
Kleitz M. (1968) Thesis, Grenoble University
Yanagida H, Brook RJ, Kroger FA (1970) J Electrochem Soc 117(5):593–602
Tedmon CS, Spacil HS, Mitoff SP (1969) J Electrochem Soc 116(9):1170–1175
Gokhshstein YP, Safonov AA (1970) High Temp 8:368
Casselton REW (1974) J Appl Electrochem 4(1):25–48
Fabry P., Kleitz M. (1976) in: M. Kleitz, J. Dupuy (Eds.), Electrode processes in solid state ionics, Reidel Publ. Comp., Dordrecht, pp. 331–365
Janek J, Korte C (1999) Solid State Ionics 116(3-4):181–195
Boulfrad S, Djurado E, Fouletier J (2009) Solid State Ionics 180(14-16):978–983
Knibbe RML, Traulsen MLA, Hauch ASD, Ebbesen SDM, Mogensen M (2010) J Electrochem Soc 157(8):B1209–B1217
Laguna-Bercero MA, Campana R, Larrea A, Kilner JA, Orera VM (2011) J Power Sources 196(21):8942–8947
Kim J, Ji H, Dasari HP, Shin D, Song H, Lee JH, Kim BK, Je HJ, Lee HW, Yoon KJ (2013) Int J Hydrog Energy 38(3):1225–1235
Chen M, Liu YL, Bentzen JJ, Zhang W, Sun X, Hauch A, Tao Y, Bowen JR, Hendriksen PV (2013) J Electrochem Soc 160(8):F883–F891
Sun X, Chen M, Hjalmarsson P, Ebbesen SD, Jensen SH, Mogensen M, Hendriksen PV (2012) ECS Trans 41:77–85
Barfod R, Mogensen M, Klemenso T, Hagen A, Liu YL, Hendriksen PV (2007) J Electrochem Soc 154(4):B371–B378
Primdahl S, Mogensen M (1998) J Electrochem Soc 145(7):2431–2438
Primdahl S, Mogensen M (1999) J Electrochem Soc 146(8):2827–2833
Jørgensen MJ, Mogensen M (2001) J Electrochem Soc 148(5):A433–A442
Primdahl S (1999) Risø National Laboratory. DTU, Roskilde, Denmark
Schefold J, Brisse A, Tietz F (2012) J Electrochem Soc 159:A137–A144
Nechache A, Mansuy A, Petitjean M, Mougin J, Mauvy F, Boukamp BA, Cassir M, Ringuedé A (2016) Electrochim Acta 210:596–605
Leonide A, Sonn V, Weber A, Ivers-Tiffée E (2008) J Electrochem Soc 155(1):B36–B41
Kournoutis VC, Tietz F, Bebelis S (2009) Fuel Cells 09(6):852–860
Ivers-Tiffée E, Weber A (2017) J Ceram Soc Japan 125(4):193–201
Tietz F, Sebold D, Brisse A, Schefold J (2013) J Power Sources 223:129–135
Schefold J, Brisse A, Poepke H (2017) Int J Hydrog Energy 42(19):13415–13426
Laguna-Bercero MA (2012) J Power Sources 203:4–16
Moçoteguy P, Brisse A (2013) Int J Hydrog Energy 38(36):15887–15902
Ebbesen SD, Jensen SH, Hauch A, Mogensen MB (2014) Chem Rev 114(21):10697–10734
Irvine JTS, Neagu D, Verbraeken MC, Chatzichristodoulou C, Graves CR, Mogensen MB (2016) Nat Energy 1:1–13
Wang Y, Liu T, Lei L, Chen F (2017) J Power Sources 344:119–127
Keane M, Fan H, Han M, Singh P (2014) Int J Hydrog Energy 39(33):18718–18726
Zhang L, Zhu X, Cao Z, Wang Z, Li W, Zhu L, Li P, Huang X, Lü Z (2017) Electrochim Acta 232:542–549
Hauch A, Brodersen K, Chen M, Mogensen MB (2016) Solid State Ionics 293:27–36
Lim CK, Liu Q, Zhou J, Sun Q, Chan SH (2017) J Power Sources 342:79–87
Lee SJ, Jung CY, Yi SC (2017) Electrochim Acta 242:86–89
Boulfrad S, Nechache A, Cassidy M, Traversa E, Irvine JTS (2015) ECS Trans 68(1):2011–2018
Schouler EJL, Kleitz M, Forest E, Fernandez E, Fabry P (1981) Solid State Ionics 5:559–562
Schefold J, Brisse A, Zahid M (2009) J Electrochem Soc 156(8):B897–B904
Mansuy A (2012) PhD Thesis, Université Bordeaux 1, Bordeaux
Acknowledgements
Dr. Nechache would like to warmly acknowledge Dr. Guillaume Izzet for the very helpful discussions.
Funding
This work is supported by the French Research National Agency (ANR) through Hydrogène et piles à combustible program (project FIDELHYO no. ANR-09-HPAC-005).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Michel Cassir and Armelle Ringuedé are ISE members
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nechache, A., Boukamp, B.A., Cassir, M. et al. Accelerated degradation of yttria stabilized zirconia electrolyte during high-temperature water electrolysis. J Solid State Electrochem 23, 871–881 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-018-04184-3
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-018-04184-3