Influence of Carbon Black Pore Former on the Synthesis of LSM-YSZ Composite Electrode Material via Solid-State Reaction and Glycine-Nitrate Process

Abstract

Utilizing two different synthesis methods, solid-state reaction and glycine-nitrate process, composite lanthanum strontium manganite and yttria-stabilized zirconia (LSM-YSZ) powders were prepared. The powders were then mixed with 0, 5, and 10 wt% carbon black nanosized pore former and pressed into 10mm diameter pellets then sintered at 1150 °C for 5 hours. The pellet composition and microstructure were investigated using FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDX, and their density and open porosity were measured using the Archimedes principle. The resulting microstructure of the composite pellets obtained using the two fabrication methods and different pore former weight percentages were studied and compared. It was found that the addition of 5 wt% carbon black pore former yields about 40% desired open porosity, and synthesis via GNP results to finer and more evenly distributed LSM and YSZ particles.