Preparation of Doped Ceria Electrolyte Films for SOFCs by Spray Coating Method

Abstract

Spray coating method is a cost-effective technique suitable for the preparation of uniform and large-area thin films. This article presents findings on the preparation of dense electrolyte thin films by spray coating method. Dense, crack-free Gd-doped CeO₂ (GDC) thin films with a thickness of approximately 2 µm were successfully prepared on porous NiO-GDC substrates. The influence of the dispersion of GDC nanopowders in susupension on the microstructure of the thin films was investigated. Results show that agglomeration of GDC nanopowders in suspension resulted in a porous microstructure and a densely packed microstructure was obtained for the film prepared from a well-dispersed suspension.

Keywords:

• Dense thin films
• sintering
• SOFC
• spray coating