A novel polymer-ceramic composite low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is composited into electrolyte material, e.g., LaCePr-oxide-La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-delta (LCP-LSCF), to improve its electrochemical performance and enhance its mechanical strength for a low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell. The influence of different PVDF contents on the performance of the as-prepared samples was studied in this work. X-ray diffraction results indicate that there is no impurity phase in the composite. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were employed to investigate the composite's stability at operating temperature. The I-V and I-P characteristics indicate that the microstructures of the nanocomposites that can be controlled by PVDF which plays an important role in its electrochemical performance. The cell with 3 wt% PVDF that was heat treated at 210 degrees C achieved the highest power density of 687 mW cm(-2) at 550 degrees C, which was 196 mW cm(-2) higher than that without any heat treatment. The pores are formed by PVDF, and the heat treatment enlarged the triple-phase boundary (TPB), which was the main reason for improved performance.