Anode for a solid oxide fuel cell and composition and method for forming same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11367888-B2
Application number	US-201716467926-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2017
Priority date	Dec 8, 2016
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to solid oxide fuel cell anodes, in particular anodes which containing porous particles coated with catalytic nickel. The use of porous particles as a carrier for the nickel catalyst helps to overcome some of the redox stability issues experienced by some systems and improves the internal reforming properties of the system and permits less nickel to be used in SOFC systems.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An anode for a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), the anode comprising:
a matrix comprising a doped metal oxide; and
an electrocatalyst,
wherein the electrocatalyst comprises porous particles supported by the matrix, the porous particles having pore sizes greater than 1 nm and containing a steam reformation catalyst material trapped within the pores of the porous particles.

2. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the steam reformation catalyst material is selected from: Fe, Co, Ru, Ni, Rh, Pt, Pd, or a combination thereof; and optionally wherein the steam reformation catalyst material is selected from: Fe, Co, Ni, or a combination thereof.

3. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the steam reformation catalyst material is nickel.

4. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the doped metal oxide is an electrically conducting ceramic material selected from the perovskites lanthanum strontium chromite (LSCr), lanthanum strontium chromite manganite (LSGM), and doped strontium titanates.

5. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the doped metal oxide is an electrically conducting ceramic material.

6. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the doped metal oxide is a rare-earth doped ceria, optionally selected from: gadolinium doped ceria (CGO); samarium doped ceria; or combinations thereof.

7. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the porous particles containing the steam reformation catalyst material are present in the range 5 to 70% wt. based on the weight of the total anode.

8. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the porous particles containing the steam reformation catalyst material are present in the range 10 to 60% wt. based on the weight of the total anode.

9. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the porous particles have pore sizes of less than 1 μm.

10. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix surrounds the porous particles.

11. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the porous particles have pore sizes in the range 1 nm to 500 nm.

12. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the porous particles are mesoporous particles.

13. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the porous particles are dispersed throughout the matrix.

14. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the porous particles comprise praseodymium doped ceria (PDC).

15. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the porous particles comprise a rare-earth doped ceria.

16. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix further comprises in the range 5%-70% wt. of the steam reformation catalyst material, optionally selected from nickel and nickel oxide.

17. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the anode is for a metal supported solid oxide fuel cell, and is provided on a metal support substrate.

18. A composition for making an anode for a solid oxide fuel cell, the composition comprising:
a matrix precursor comprising a doped metal oxide; and
an electrocatalyst,
wherein the electrocatalyst comprises porous particles having pore sizes greater than 1 nm and containing the steam reformation catalyst material trapped within the pores of the porous particles.

19. A method of making an anode for a solid oxide fuel cell, comprising the steps of:
i) applying a composition according to claim 18 to a substrate; and
ii) sintering the composition.

20. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising the anode according to claim 1 , and optionally, wherein the anode is for a metal supported solid oxide fuel cell, and is provided on a metal support substrate.

21. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the porous particles are of higher porosity than the matrix.

22. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the pores of the porous particles are coated with active metal catalyst nanoparticles.

23. An anode according to claim 1 , wherein the steam reformation catalyst material in the porous particles comprises nickel.

Assignees

• Ceres Ip Co Ltd

Inventors

• Leah Robert
• Hammer Eva-Maria
• Bone Adam

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M4/8846

  Impregnation · CPC title

• H01M4/8647

  consisting of more than one material, e.g. consisting of composites · CPC title

• H01M2004/8684

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/8803

  Supports for the deposition of the catalytic active composition (H01M4/90 takes precedence) · CPC title