Fuel cells are considered one of the best solutions to reduce the level of emissions related with the use of fossil fuels, especially if green hydrogen is used as fuel. The high operating temperatures of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) enable the possibility to feed them with different types of fuels, which facilitates the transition towards a more environmentally friendly energy model. (ZrO2)1-x(Y2O3)x (YSZ) and La1-xSrxMnO3 (LSM) are currently considered the reference as electrolyte and cathode, respectively [1].
 
Screen printing, tape casting, sol-gel, spray coating, vapor and laser deposition are among the most common fabrication procedures for individual SOFC components and cells [2]. In the search for more efficient and compact device designs, 3D printing manufacturing technologies stand out because of the possibility to produce non-conventional geometries that cannot be afforded with any of the previous techniques. Moreover, 3D printing of SOFC materials may lead to volumetric and mass energy density enhancements, optimisation and extension of the Triple Phase Boundary (TPB) region, etc [3].
 
Within this context, this work shows our recent advances in the production of SOFC electrolyte and cathode materials via 3D printing in addition to the development and improvement of co-sintering conditions for the printed components. The best debinding and co-sintering conditions to produce dense YSZ electrolytes and highly porous LSM-based electrodes exhibiting good interfacial contact will be discussed and combined with the complete characterization (including structure, morphology, and thermal and electrical behaviour) of the 3D-printed monoliths obtained by Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) and stereolithography (SLA). 3D-printed symmetrical cells were also assembled and tested to compare their performance to those fabricated by conventional methods. The ionic conductivity of of the 3D-printed electrolytes was 0,06 S/cm for 8YSZ and 0,03 S/cm in the case of 3YSZ at 900°C, whereas polarisation resistances of 0,83 ohmcm2 were obtained when operating in air at the same temperature
 
Referencias
 
[1]       Q. M. et al, “Science and technology of ceramic fuel cells,” p. 366, 1995.
[2]       G. Chasta et al, International Journal of Energy Research, 46(11), (2022),14627–14658, 2022
[3]         a) X. Tian et al, Advanced Energy Materials, 7(17), (2017) 1–17; b) M. Faes et al, Procedia CIRP, vol. 28, pp. 76–81, 2015
[4]        J. Canales-Vázquez et al., Patent WO2017191340A1, 2017