Síntese e caracterização de LaFe1-xNixO3-δpara utilização como cátodo em células a combustível

Abstract

The fuel cell are an alternative of production clean and efficient energy, because converts chemical energy in electrical energy. A fuel cell is formed basically by an electrolyte, a cathode and an anode. The fuel fed the anode and the oxidant fed the cathode. The fuel cells are classified according to the electrolyte used. The solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has all the components in solid state and work in high temperatures. The main electrolyte used for SOFC manufacturing is the ZrO2-Y2O3 owing your high ionic conductivity. The materials for electrode manufacturing must possess thermal expansion characteristics close to electrolyte and have high electrical conductivity in operating temperature, besides chemical and mechanical stability during operate and manufacture. High accomplishment cathodes have been studied, highlighting those with mixed conductivity, most ceramics with perovskite structure and lanthanide ions in your composition. Among these oxides, the perovskite LaFe1-xNixO3-δ has attracted interest for application as cathode in SOFC’s, to operate at intermediate temperatures. Chemical methods of production of ceramic powders are very efficient for obtaining powders with high reactivity and chemical homogeneity. Among the methods of chemical synthesis used to obtain powders, the Pechini method has pointed as a promising alternative process for obtaining nanometric powders. This work aimed to obtain LaFe1-xNixO3-δ powders by Pechini method, studying their behavior when changed processing conditions. The samples were synthetized, calcined and sintered. The characterizations accomplished were thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, scanning energy microscopy, spectroscopy dispersive energy, helium picnometry, surface area measured by BET method, density, porosity and water absorption by Arquimedes method, impedance spectropy and mercury porosimetry.Based on the characterizations performed, the LaFe1-xNixO3-δ obtained by the method based on the Pechini method proved viable for a possible application as cathode fuel cell solid oxide.