Catalytic Enhancement of Carbon Black and Coal-Fueled Hybrid Direct Carbon Fuel Cells

Abstract

Hybrid direct carbon fuel cells (HDCFCs) consisting of a solid carbon (carbon black)-molten carbonate ((62–38 wt% Li-K)2CO3) mixtures in the anode chamber of an anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell type full-cell are tested for their electrochemical performance between 700 and 800°C. Performance was investigated using current-voltage-power density curves. In the anode chamber, catalysts are mixed with the carbon-carbonate mixture. These catalysts include various manganese oxides (MnO2, Mn2O3, Mn3O4, MnO), metal carbonates (Ag2CO3, MnCO3, Ce2(CO3)3), metals (Ag, Ce, Ni), doped-ceria (CeO2, Ce1-xGdxO2-x/2, Ce1-xREExO2-δ (REE = Pr, Sm)) and metal oxides (LiMn2O4, Ag2O). Materials showing the highest activity in carbon black (Mn2O3, CeO2, Ce0.6Pr0.4O2-δ, Ag2O) were subsequently tested for catalytic activity toward bituminous coal, as revealed by both I-V-P curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Catalytic activity was evaluated as a function of various physical characteristics of doped ceria and manganese-based materials