Plasma Spraying of Lanthanum Silicate Electrolytes for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (ITSOFCs)

This study investigates the feasibility of manufacturing lanthanum silicate coatings for solid oxide fuel cells by atmospheric plasma spraying. The coatings produced are cohesive, relatively dense, and contain no secondary phases. Test results show that the starting composition of the powder is maintained after spraying and that particle velocity depends primarily on the plasma gas mixture. Due to the relatively high melting temperature of the particles, dense apatite coatings with few microstructural defects are obtained.