# US 2013/0154147 A1 · Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Articles and Methods of Forming

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- Number: US 2013/0154147 A1
- Document ID: US20130154147A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/708,773
- Filed: 2012-12-07
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-07
- Assignees: Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics, Inc.
- Inventors: Aravind MOHANRAM
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154147A1

## CPC

- H01M 8/1246: the electrolyte consisting of oxides
- H01M 4/861: {with a gradient in the porosity}
- H01M 8/1213: characterised by the electrode/electrolyte combination or the supporting material
- H01M 4/9033: {Complex oxides, optionally doped, of the type M1MeO3, M1 being an alkaline earth metal or a rare earth, Me being a metal, e.g. perovskites}
- H01M 8/1253: the electrolyte containing zirconium oxide
- H01M 2008/1293: {Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes}
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) article including a SOFC unit cell having a functional layer of an average thickness of not greater than about 100 μm, wherein the functional layer has a first type of porosity having a vertical orientation, and the first type of porosity has an aspect ratio of length:width, the width substantially aligned with a dimension of thickness of the functional layer.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

-62. (canceled)

### Claim 63

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) article comprising:
a SOFC unit cell comprising a functional layer having an average thickness of not greater than about 100 μm, wherein the functional layer comprises a first type of porosity having a vertical orientation, wherein the first type of porosity has an aspect ratio of length:width, the length substantially aligned with a dimension of thickness of the functional layer.

### Claim 64 (depends on 63)

The SOFC article of claim 63, wherein the first type of porosity is present in a significant amount of the total volume of porosity of the functional layer.

### Claim 65 (depends on 64)

The SOFC article of claim 64, wherein the first type of porosity is present in an amount of at least about 5% of the total volume of porosity of the functional layer, such as at least about 20%, at least about 30%, at least about 40%, at least about 50%, at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 80%, at least about 90% of the total volume of porosity of the functional layer.

### Claim 66 (depends on 63)

The SOFC article of claim 63, further comprising a second type of porosity having a random orientation.

### Claim 67 (depends on 66)

The SOFC article of claim 66, further comprising a third type of porosity having a horizontal orientation.

### Claim 68 (depends on 63)

The SOFC article of claim 63,wherein the functional layer comprises at least about 5 vol % porosity for the total volume of the functional layer.

### Claim 69 (depends on 63)

The SOFC article of claim 63, wherein the first type of porosity has an average pore size that is not greater than about 25 μm.

### Claim 70 (depends on 63)

The SOFC article of claim 63, wherein the functional layer comprises an average thickness not greater than about 90 μm.

### Claim 71 (depends on 63)

The SOFC article of claim 63, wherein the average thickness of the functional layer is at least about 1 μm.

### Claim 72 (depends on 63)

The SOFC article of claim 63, wherein the SOFC unit cell further comprises a first electrode comprising a cathode, wherein the cathode is in direct contact with the functional layer, and wherein the cathode comprises a bulk layer portion having a porosity (vol. %) that is greater than a porosity (vol %) of the functional layer.

### Claim 73 (depends on 63)

The SOFC article of claim 63, wherein the SOFC unit cell further comprises a dense layer overlying functional layer.

### Claim 74 (depends on 63)

The SOFC article of claim 63, wherein the functional layer is disposed between an electrode and a dense layer, wherein the length is greater than the width, and wherein the dimension of length defines a pore axis, the pore axis forming an angle that is greater than about 45 degrees from a horizontal axis defining a width of the functional layer.

### Claim 75 (depends on 74)

The SOFC article of claim 74, wherein the pore axis forms an angle of greater than about 46 degrees.

### Claim 76 (depends on 74)

The SOFC article of claim 74, wherein the functional layer comprises a vertical axis corresponding to a direction of force that is applied during a pressing operation to form the SOFC unit cell, wherein the vertical axis is perpendicular to the horizontal axis, wherein the vertical axis extends in a direction parallel to a thickness of the functional layer.

### Claim 77 (depends on 76)

The SOFC article of claim 76, wherein the pressing operation includes a hot pressing operation.

### Claim 78

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) article comprising:
a SOFC unit cell comprising a functional layer having an average thickness of not greater than about 100 microns, wherein a portion of a porosity of the functional layer comprises:
a first type of porosity having an aspect ratio of length:width of at least about 1.1:1 and a vertical orientation with respect to a horizontal axis defining a width of the functional layer; and
a second type of porosity having a non-vertical orientation with respect to the horizontal axis of the functional layer.

### Claim 79 (depends on 78)

The SOFC article of claim 78, wherein the aspect ratio of length:width is at least about 1.2:1.

### Claim 80 (depends on 78)

The SOFC article of claim 78, wherein the length and width are viewed in cross-section under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) at a magnification within a range between 2000× to 5000×.

### Claim 81

A method of forming a solid oxide fuel cell SOFC article, the method comprising:
forming a green functional layer having a content of pore forming agents; and
uniaxial hot pressing the green functional layer to form a finished functional layer under transformation conditions selected from the group of conditions consisting of temperature, pressure, time, and atmosphere, wherein a significant portion of pores formed from the pore forming agents vertically orient with respect to a horizontal axis during uniaxial hot pressing.

### Claim 82 (depends on 81)

The method of claim 81, wherein the content of pore forming agents have a median size of less than about 20 μm; and wherein the finished functional layer comprises an average thickness of not greater than about 100 μm.