Electrochemical performance and hydrocarbon tolerance of metal-oxide composite electrode catalyst for a SOFC anode

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K06978
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Energy engineering
• Research Institution: Chubu University
• Principal Investigator: NAMIOKA Tomoaki 中部大学, 工学部, 准教授 (90376955)
• Research Collaborator: ITO Hibiki
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 金属－酸化物コンポジット触媒 / アノード / 電極触媒 / SOFC / 鉄系触媒

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Composite effect of common metal and functional oxide as an anode catalyst for a SOFC on electrochemical performance was evaluated in this study. the Fe-CeO2 composite electrode catalyst enabled lowering the overpotential compared with the Fe electrode catalyst. The positive effect of the composite catalysts is suppressing sintering, whereas the negative effect is lowering electrical conductivity of the bulk electrode. Therefore, the electrochemical performance of the composite electrode catalyst is influenced by its composition. In the range of this study, the lowest overpotential was obtained when Fe: CeO2 ratio was 7:3.
Influence of chemical species of functional oxide on overpotential was also evaluated with Ni-CeO2, Ni-TiO2, and Ni-MnO, and the best catalyst in the three was Ni-CeO2. The results of the TPR analysis showed that the interaction between Ni and CeO2 is weakest in the three. Too strong interaction may lower the catalytic activities for the electrochemical reaction.

Free Research Field

エネルギー工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

固体酸化物形燃料電池用電極触媒のナノコンポジット化の研究事例はまだ少ない。また少ない検討事例においても，機構解明にまで踏み込んだ研究・考察はほとんどない。本研究は，既往研究で得られた高性能Ni-CeO2電極触媒の機構解明を根拠に代替物質の提案を行っている点が本研究の学術的な意義といえる。
また、希少な元素を資源量豊富な元素に置き換える元素戦略は資源の乏しい日本においては重要であり、比較的安価な元素や酸化物との間の相互作用やナノコンポジット化粒子の機能に関しては、燃料電池電極触媒の範囲にとどまらず他の反応系の触媒設計に関わる広範囲な分野への波及効果が大きいものと考えている。