La 1-x Sr x Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ deposits, of different stoichiometry, were fabricated for SOFC oxygen electrode using atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) with TriplexPro gun. The spraying conditions were developed by correlating, plasma jet characteristics (enthalpy and velocity), in-flight particle properties (temperature and velocity) and deposit quality (phase composition, porosity, coefficient of thermal expansion, electrochemical testing). The optimal cathode deposits exhibited a porosity of about 20 vol.%. The CTE in air flow at 800 °C was, however, 15.6 x 10 -6 K -1 and it was independent of the processing conditions. Electrochemical tests for cathodes were conducted on SOFCs that were produced following metal supported design and had YSZ as electrolyte and NiO+YSZ as anode. At 800 °C, power densities of above 640 mW/cm 2 at 0.7 V were recorded with H 2 /air for cell having La 0.60 Sr 0.40 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ as cathode. Cells consisting of La 0.58 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ and La 0.78 Sr 0.2 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ had 479 and 496 mW/cm 2 under similar conditions. Using equivalent circuit diagrams the contribution of different polarizations on the cell performance were separated and cathodes were compared. La 0.60 Sr 0.40 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ was found to have the best electrochemical performance followed by La 0.58 Sr 0.40 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ and La 0.78 Sr 0.20 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ .

A new challenge in the field of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) concerns the reduction of their operating temperature down to 700°C. Apatite ceramics are interesting alternatives for SOFC electrolytes due to their high ionic conductivity at this temperature. The present work reports on the manufacturing and characterization of La 9 SrSi 6 O 26.5 coatings obtained by atmospheric plasma spraying at two different plasma spray powders. The microstructure and the composition of the as-sprayed and heat-treated coatings were investigated by several techniques including X-Ray Diffraction, Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectroscopy as well as Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy. The porosity level of the coatings was evaluated by the Archimedean method and image analysis. The studies revealed that the as-sprayed apatite coatings were composed of an amorphous phase, a crystalline apatite phase and chemical heterogeneities due to Si volatilization in the high-temperature plasma. Furthermore, a heat treatment made it possible to obtain denser, fully crystallized apatite coatings and also improved their ionic conductivity.

Silicon based coatings are showing great promise for power applications in the semiconductor, target, and solar industries. In order for thermal plasma spraying of silicon to continue to have an industrial impact in these industries, careful investigations into the deposition properties must be undertaken. We used a Thermach gun and powder feeder, to deposit silicon onto 100 mm x 50 mm x 1.6 mm steel samples. Coating cross-sectioning and image analysis was performed in order to evaluate the coating’s microstructure and porosity. Mechanical property measurements consisted of hardness testing on the coating cross sections. In addition, scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy were conducted. These results combined for an analysis into the deposition properties of silicon coatings using various particle sizings, plasma power, and spray distances. Correlations between these input parameters and their effect on the microstructure are critical to semiconductor depositions of silicon.

The use of a liquid feedstock carrier in suspension plasma spray (SPS) permits injection of fine powders, providing the possibility of producing sprayed coatings that are both thin and dense and have fine microstructures. These characteristics make SPS an attractive process for depositing highly efficient electrodes and electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications. In the present study, NiO-yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) anode and YSZ electrolyte half cells were successfully deposited on porous Hastelloy X substrates by SPS. The NiO-YSZ anode deposition process was optimized by design of experiment. The YSZ electrolyte spray process was examined by changing one parameter at a time. The results from the design-of-experiment trials indicate that the porosity of the as-deposited coatings increased with an increase of suspension feed rate while it decreased with an increase of total plasma gas flow rate and standoff distance. The deposition efficiency increased with an increase of total plasma gas flow rate, suspension feed rate and standoff distance. The microstructure examination by SEM shows that the NiO and YSZ phases were homogeneously distributed and that the YSZ phase had a lamellar structure. It was observed that the density of the YSZ electrolyte layer increased as input power of the plasma torch increased.

Zirconium metal coatings applied by plasma spraying and electrospark deposition (ESD) have been investigated for use as diffusion barrier coatings on low enrichment uranium fuel for research nuclear reactors. The coatings have been applied to both stainless steel as a surrogate and to simulated nuclear fuel uranium-molybdenum alloy substrates. Deposition parameter development accompanied by coating characterization has been performed. The structure of the plasma sprayed coating was shown to vary with transferred arc current during deposition. The structure of ESD coatings was shown to vary with the capacitance of the deposition equipment.

Atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) is one of the most promising methods for manufacturing the components employed in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) due to its fast deposition rate and cost-effective characteristics. The anode activity can be improved through increasing the triple-phase boundaries (TPBs) at the electrolyte/anode interface. The active TPBs length, and consequently the performance of the cell, can be enhanced by varying the compositions and microstructure of the APS anode. In this paper, agglomerated powders of NiO and YSZ are prepared by a spray-drying method for preparation of SOFCs anode. The anode was deposited using NiO/YSZ composite powder by APS at different plasma arc power. The influences of plasma arc power on the microstructure and electrochemical performance of Ni/YSZ anode are investigated for the optimization of SOFCs anode.

Manganese cobalt oxide spinel doped with Fe 2 O 3 was studied as protective coatings on alloyed metallic interconnect plates for solid oxide fuel cell applications. Chromium alloying causes problems at high operation temperatures in oxidising conditions, on the cathode side of the fuel cell. The formed chromium oxide layer tends to form a thin layer of chromium trioxide or chromium hydroxide which evaporates at certain oxygen partial pressures more easily than chromium oxide and thus poisons the cathodes active area causing the degradation of the solid oxide fuel cell. Thermal spraying is regarded as a promising way to produce dense and protective layers on top of ferritic steels to lower the degradation processes and extend the lifetime of the SOFC device. In the present work, the ceramic Co-Mn-oxide spinel coatings were produced by using the atmospheric plasma spray process. The structures and compositions of the coatings were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to study the phase structure in as-sprayed and heat treated coatings and mechanical properties were examined by using micro hardness tester. Coatings with low thickness and micro structurally dense structures were produced by using optimal deposition conditions.