Abstract:
The purposes of this research are 3-folds: first is to develop the electrodeand electrolyte materials for molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs), second is to studythe effects of sintering conditions, i.e., temperatures and times, to the materialstructures and properties, and third is to characterize materials structure andmicrostructure, including the surface area and porosity.A method for fabricating Ni anode, Li-doped NiO cathode and (Li2-K2)CO3-doped LiAlOz electrolyte has been developed. For the Ni anode fabrication, the Nipowder with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) binder were formed by pressing. They weresintered in reduction atmosphere (5%Hz/Ar) at temperature between 960?C and106OC. The cathodes were pressed and the sintered in oxidation atmosphere (02) attemperature between 800?C and 880?C. Both anodes and cathodes were sintered in atube furnace. (Li2Co3-K2)CO3 powder which was doped to electrolyte (LiA102) wasprepared from Li2CO3 and K&O3 powder by heating in a muMe furnace at 600?Cfor 45 mins. Electrolyte powder (y-LiAlO2) was synthesized by Al2O3.H2O reactionwith LiOH.HzO, NaCl and KC1 at 660?C for 1 hr and 950?C for 5 hrs. Then 7wt%(L&-K2)CO3 and 93wt% LiAlO2 were mixed in a ball mill for 6 hrs. The electrolyteswere formed by pressing and tape casting, and sintered in the muffle furnace attemperature between 600?C and 800?C. The properties of anode, cathode andelectrolyte materials were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanningelectron microscopy @EM), the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method (BET) surfacearea, and the particle size distribution. The apparent porosity was also determinedusing the ASTM C373-88 standard test method.The result showed the anode has uniform pure Ni phase with surface area of2 m2/g, and pore size ranged between l-10 ym. The cathode observed uniform NiOphase with surface area of 10 m2/g, - 45% apparent porosity, and pore size rangedbetween 1 - 5 pm. The electrolyte which was synthesized from doping Li2COs andK&O3 to LiAlO2 aRer heating showed the uniform (Liz-Kz)COs phase and y-LiAlO2.The particle sizes were broadly ranged between less than 1 pm and 60 pm. FromBET, electrolyte, surface area showed 36 m2/g, - 64 % apparent porosity, and poresize ranged between l-5 p.m.