Coated stainless steel 441 as interconnect material for solid oxide fuel cells: Oxidation performance and chromium evaporation

Reactive Element (RE) and RE/cobalt-coated stainless steel AISI 441 was exposed at Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) cathode conditions (850 degrees C in air with 3% water content) for up to 500 h. The chromium evaporation was measured by applying the denuder technique. Uncoated material exhibited severe spallation which could be successfully prevented by using cerium or lanthanum coatings. By applying double layer coatings of cerium or lanthanum in combination with cobalt the oxidation rate was decreased and the chromium volatilisation was also about 90% lower than the uncoated material

Coated stainless steel 441 as interconnect material for solid oxide fuel cells: Evolution of electrical properties

AISI 441 coated. with a double layer coating of 10 nm cerium (inner layer) and 630 nm cobalt was investigated and in addition the uncoated material was exposed for comparison. The main purpose of this investigation was the development of a suitable ASR characterization method. The material was exposed to a simulated cathode atmosphere of air with 3% water at 850 degrees C and the samples were exposed for up to 1500 h. We compared two methods of ASR measurements, an in-situ method where samples were measured with platinum electrodes for longer exposure times and an ex-situ method where pre-oxidized samples were measured for only very short measurement times. It was found that the ASR of ex-situ characterized samples could be linked to the mass gain and the electrical properties could be linked to the evolving microstructure during the different stages of exposure. Both the degradation of the electric performance and the oxygen uptake (mass gain) followed similar trends. After about 1500 h of exposure an ASR value of about 15 m Omega cm(2) was reached. The in-situ measured samples suffered from severe corrosion attack during measurement. After only 500 h of exposure already a value of 35 m Omega cm(2) was obtained

Evaluating candidate materials for balance of plant components in SOFC: Oxidation and Cr evaporation properties

Balance of plant (BOP) components made of metallic materials in solid oxide fuel cells are subject to high-temperature corrosion and are a significant source of volatile chromium species. Prospective Fe and Ni-base alloys, AISI 441, AISI 444, a FeCrAl alloy A197/Kanthal\uae EF101, alloy 600, and alloy 800H are investigated for their suitability to BOP components. Oxidation kinetics and chromium evaporation were employed to study the selected alloys at 650 \ub0C and 850 \ub0C for 500 h. A197 performed the best while AISI 441 and AISI 444, performed the worst. Pre-oxidation significantly improved the performance of the alloys at 650 ⁰C

Reevaluating the Cr Evaporation Characteristics of Ce/Co Coatings for Interconnect Applications

Cathode poisoning by chromium evaporation from the interconnects is one of the major degradation mechanisms in SOFC. Coatings have proved to be very effective in suppressing chromium evaporation on interconnects. The quantification of chromium evaporation is important for determining the chromium consumption in the interconnect and predicting the lifetime of the interconnect. Chromium evaporation of uncoated and Ce/Co coated Crofer 22 APU is reevaluated at 800 C. The chromium evaporation of Ce/Co coatings on steel sheets and precut steels is studied. Coupons cut from Ce/Co coated sheets have uncoated edges, which influence the chromium evaporation measurements. The true chromium evaporation of the coated interconnects is evaluated. The PVD Ce/Co coatings on Crofer 22 APU reduce the chromium evaporation by at least 60 times compared to the uncoated at 800 C

Växtnäring från trekammarbrunnar till energigräs

En slutsats som dragits inom projektet är att själva kretsloppet för växtnäringsinnehållet i trekammarbrunnsslam inte är den viktigaste frågan ur hållbarhetssynpunkt vid odling av energigräs, eftersom återföringen av växtnäring med trekammarbrunnsslam, främst fosfor och kalium, är mycket begränsad. I stället är själva nyttjandet av energigräset som råvara för produktion av förnybara drivmedel mycket viktigare ur hållbarhetssynpunkt. Hållbarheten i systemet ligger i att energigräset kan omvandlas till förnybara drivmedel, såsom biogas och bioetanol, vilka ersätter bensin och diesel, som har en mycket stor klimatpåverkan. Enligt litteraturuppgifter ger en vallgröda på ca 9 ton torrsubstans (ts) per ha och år, en reduktion av växthusgasemissioner med ca 6 ton CO2-ekv. per hektar och år, under förutsättning att fordonsgas i form av metan produceras av vallgrödan och biogödseln, som kvarstår efter rötningen av vallgrödan, ersätter mineralgödsel på produktiv åkermark. Inom projektet har vi uppnått skördar på 5 - 15 ton ts per ha och år beroende på odlingslokal och vilket energigräs som odlats, om gräset varit gödslat eller ogödslat samt om baljväxter ingått i ”biogasvallen”. Skördenivåer i detta intervall tyder på att man kan uppnå ett hållbart system för produktion av biogas baserat på energigräs, enligt EU:s nuvarande hållbarhetskriterier (en CO2-reduktion på minst 35 %) för förnybara drivmedel, oberoende om gräset gödslas med trekammarbrunnsslam eller ej. Särskilt stor klimatnytta uppnås vid användning av biogasvallar som innehåller både gräs och baljväxter, eftersom dessa ger hög biomassaavkastning helt utan kvävegödsling. Biogaspotentialen hos de energigräs och biogasvallar som studerats i projektet ligger normalt i intervallet 250 – 350 l CH4 per kg VS, beroende på skördetidpunkt och förbehandlingsmetod. Att använda energiåkrar för odling av fleråriga energigräs där biomassan används för produktion av biogas, bioetanol eller fastbränsle innebär flera miljövinster, mest påtagligt genom minskad klimatpåverkan, eftersom fossil energi ersätts, men även genom att fleråriga grödor har lägre behov av insatser i form av jordbearbetning och ogräsbekämpning och lagrar in mer kol i rötterna och marken än ettåriga grödor. Ytterligare miljövinster kan erhållas om biomassa skördas på ogödslade energiåkrar nära känsliga vattenmiljöer, eftersom man då kan transportera bort växtnäring till produktiv åkermark, som annars skulle kunna orsaka övergödning. Vid användning av energigräs som biogassubstrat kan biogödseln, som blir kvar efter rötningen, användas som ett värdefullt gödselmedel inom ekologisk eller konventionell odling. Biogödseln innehåller lättillgänglig växtnäring och om den används för gödsling av livsmedelsgrödor på åkermark sker en stor miljövinst genom ersättning av mineralgödsel. För att trekammarbrunnsslam skall kunna användas som ett gödselmedel till energigräs så krävs det en hygienisering genom t.ex. tillsats av minst 0,6 % urea och lagring i minst 3 månader. Hygienisering med urea medför dock att trekammarbrunnsslammet får ett relativt högt kväveinnehåll i jämförelse med andra viktiga växtnäringsämnen, såsom fosfor och kalium. Detta innebär att fosfor och kalium måste tillföras med andra gödselmedel för att energiåkern inte skall lida brist på dessa växtnäringsämnen på längre sikt. Tillförseln av tungmetaller med det hygieniserade trekammarbrunnsslammet till energiåkern bedöms vara något större jämfört med om källsorterat klosettvatten eller nötflytgödsel används som gödselmedel till energigräsen. Halterna av miljöstörande organiska ämnena i trekammarbrunnsslam ligger dock långt under riktvärdena för avloppsslam enligt slamöverenskommelsen. Allt detta visar att hygieniserat trekammarbrunnsslam kan användas som en växtnäringsresurs vid odling av energigräs eller biogasvallar på energiåkrar, men att hygieniserat klosettvatten skulle vara ett väl så bra alternativ

Internal Oxidation of a Fe-Cr Binary Alloy at 700-900 degrees C: The Role of Hydrogen and Water Vapor

Internal oxidation of Fe-2.25Cr has been studied in Fe/FeO Rhines pack (RP) and H-2/H2O gas mixtures at 700-900 degrees C. A novel exposure technique allowing RP experiments in dual atmosphere conditions was developed. No measurable effect of hydrogen on lattice oxygen permeability in ferrite could be detected: neither in single nor in dual atmosphere conditions. The H-2/H2O atmosphere was found to induce stronger oxidation attack at alloy grain boundaries resulting in a morphology similar to intergranular stress corrosion cracking often reported in nuclear technology. The intergranular oxidation attack was demonstrated to be independent of the dual atmosphere effect, i.e., hydrogen dissolved in the alloy

Effect of Hydrogen on the Internal Oxidation of a Pd–Cr Alloy in Dual-Atmosphere Conditions

The effect of hydrogen on oxygen permeability has been studied in a diluted Pd–Cr alloy in dual- and single- atmosphere conditions between 600 and 950\ua0\ub0C. The 0.3\ua0mm thick Pd–1.5Cr foil was exposed in dry and humid air as well as in dual-atmosphere conditions, with one sample surface being exposed to air and one to hydrogen, as encountered in solid oxide fuel cells. At all temperatures, Cr oxidized internally forming internal oxidation zones which were measured in metallographic cross sections. Below 800\ua0\ub0C, an external layer of PdO formed on the surface decreasing the internal oxidation kinetics. No measurable effect of hydrogen on the internal oxidation of Cr in Pd has been detected

Investigation of coated FeCr steels for application as solid oxide fuel cell interconnects under dual-atmosphere conditions

Dual-atmosphere conditions are detrimental for the ferritic stainless steel interconnects used in solid oxide fuel cells, resulting in non-protective oxide scale growth on the air side. In this paper, low-cost steels AISI 441 and AISI 444 and the tailor-made Crofer 22 APU, were investigated at 800 \ub0C and 600 \ub0C under dual-atmosphere conditions: air-3%H2O on one side and Ar-5%H2-3%H2O on the other side. At 800 \ub0C, the uncoated and Ce/Co-coated steels formed protective layers of (Cr,Mn)3O4/Cr2O3 and (Co,Mn)3O4/Cr2O3 respectively on the air side after 336 h. However, at 600 \ub0C, the Ce/Co-coated AISI 441 and AISI 444 showed ∼20–25 μm thick Fe2O3/(Fe,Cr)3O4 oxide scale on the air side after 336 h. Ce/Co coated Crofer 22 APU remained protective after 772 h at 600 \ub0C, indicating better resistance to the dual-atmosphere. The effect of Ce/Co coatings on the air side and the need for coatings on the fuel side are discussed and compared with experimental data

Evaluation of the oxidation and Cr evaporation properties of selected FeCr alloys used as SOFC interconnects

In recent years, a number of ferritic interconnect materials for use in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) have been developed and are now commercially available. Although similar, there are substantial variations in minor alloying elements. This study compares the oxidation performance of five such interconnect materials: Crofer 22 H, Crofer 22 APU (ThyssenKrupp VDM), Sanergy HT (Sandvik Materials Technology), ZMG232 G10 (Hitachi Metals) and E-Brite (ATI Allegheny Ludlum). 1000 h exposures have been carried out in tubular furnaces at 850 degrees C, with 6 l/min airflow and 3% H2O to simulate the air side atmosphere in an SOFC. In addition to the oxidation tests, time resolved in-situ chromium evaporation measurements have been carried out using a novel denuder technique. It was found that higher Mn concentrations in the alloy lead to lower Cr evaporation. Nonetheless, all steels exhibit substantial Cr volatilization and coatings are needed for most SOFC applications. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the mass gain data alone can be misleading, and the mass loss due to Cr volatilization needs to be taken into account. Neglecting Cr evaporation results in an underestimation of the oxidation rate by between 15% and 200% for the studied steel grades

11–23% Cr steels for solid oxide fuel cell interconnect applications at 800 \ub0C – How the coating determines oxidation kinetics

The present work investigates the low-cost steels AISI 441, AISI 430, and AISI 444 against the tailor-made high Cr steel Crofer 22 APU (22.9 wt% Cr) at 800 \ub0C in simulated solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathode conditions. Furthermore, a low Cr steel, AISI 409 (11.4 wt% Cr) is included in the study. The oxidation, chromium evaporation, and area-specific resistance (ASR) of the uncoated and Ce/Co-coated steels are studied for up to 3000 h. Ce/Co-coated steels showed significant improvement in behaviour compared to their uncoated counterparts. The oxidation and chromium evaporation behaviour between the uncoated steels varied substantially while the Ce/Co coated steels exhibited highly similar behaviour. The area-specific resistance of the coated low-cost steels was on par with Crofer 22 APU. However, 430 formed a continuous silica layer, resulting in a higher ASR after 3000 h. Cross-sections of the uncoated and Ce/Co-coated steels were analysed using a scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy