Cu-based cermet materials for solid oxide fuel cells

A method for preparing a cermet body comprising a ceramic component and a metallic component, the method comprising:

• a. weighing and calcinating the ceramic component, wherein the ceramic component comprises a mixture of at least four oxides selected from the group consisting of Barium oxide, Cerium oxide, Yttrium oxide, Zirconium oxide and Ytterbium oxide;
• b. milling the ceramic component in an organic solvent with a milling media followed by drying;
• c. calcinating the dried ceramic component;
• d. repeating steps (b) and (c) to form a calcined ceramic powder;
• e. mixing the calcined ceramic powder with a porogen to form a ceramic powder mixture;
• f. compacting the ceramic powder mixture by using uniaxial compaction at 5000 psi to form a ceramic body in the form of pellets followed by sintering the pellets at 950° C. for 3 hours to form a sintered porous ceramic body, wherein the sintered porous ceramic body has pores created based on sintering of the porogen;
• and
• g. impregnating the sintered porous ceramic body with the metallic component to form a cermet body, wherein the metallic component comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Iron, Copper, Nickel, alloys of the aforementioned metals and mixtures thereof;
• wherein the ceramic component is in the range of 5% by weight to 95% by weight of the cermet body.