Atmospheric plasma spraying is a cost effective way to produce SOFC components. Doing so, sinter steps can be avoided, which is essential once a metallic support is used for the SOFC. Several properties are required regarding the micro structure of an optimized anode layer. Here gas permeability, electrochemistry, electronic conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion as well as thermal shock resistance has to be considered. Different types of powder feedstock were investigated to develop an atmospheric plasma sprayed anode layer: (i) NiO or Ni together with YSZ as starting materials, (ii) agglomerates in which NiO and YSZ are already mixed on a sub-micrometer range, (iii) blended NiO/YSZ powder, (iv) separate injection of the individual NiO and YSZ powders, respectively into the plasma by two separate powder lines. The performance of APS anodes are measured in single fuel cell tests. Anode layers sprayed by a separate injection of the individual NiO and YSZ powders into the plasma show the best results.

In order to reduce the manufacturing costs of SOFC layer systems the atmospheric plasma-spray (APS) process is an attractive technique. Especially the deposition of high performance cathodes, which are essential for a high power density of the SOFC, are of major importance. The cathode functional layer (CFL) has to provide a high amount of triple-phases boundaries to allow the cathodic oxidation reaction. A typical materials mixture used for such a CFL is the perovskite (La0.65,Sr0.3)MnO3 (LSM) and the fully Y 2 O 3 -stabilized zirconia (YSZ). A sufficiently porous layer has to be formed where both components are mixed on a sub-micrometer scale. In addition to the tough challenge concerning the creation of a suitable microstructure of a CFL deposited by an APS process two additional difficulties have to be solved: i.) a decomposition of the perovskite and ii.) a chemical reaction between the LSM and the YSZ during the atmospheric plasma-spray process must be avoided. Suitable spray processing strategies were developed to overcome these problems. Cathode functional layers were produced by an atmospheric plasma-spray process using a multi-cathode Triplex-APS torch. Coatings are characterized by SEM, EDX, XRD and the porosity was determined by digital image analysis. SOFC layer systems with the new developed CFL are tested in single fuel cell tests.

Plasma spraying, commonly used for wear and heat resistant barriers, can be used to produce free-standing bulk ceramic parts as well. In this work the microstructure and phase development of a bulk plasma-sprayed alumina material with about 14 % porosity and splat like grains is investigated in the as-sprayed and various annealed material conditions, using electron microscopic and x-ray diffraction techniques. The fracture characteristics are investigated using standard CT specimens in in-situ SEM experiments. The mechanical response of the material is clearly a result of two features: the pronounced alignment of microstructure itself, and the occurrence of a splat-internal microcrack sub-structure in the as-sprayed condition. This microcrack substructure is a consequence of a splat internal columnar subgrain structure which occurs as a result of the rapid cooling conditions on deposition. The morphology of this subgrain structure and its phase composition is seen to change extensively on annealing. It is found that the mechanical behaviour of the as sprayed material is dominated by this internal subgrain structure, but the behaviour of sufficiently annealed material is dominated by the morphology and mechanical stability of the splat like grains themselves. The biggest change on annealing is not an overall sintering effect, but rather the recrystallisation of the splat internal substructure