Oxide‐Addition Design and Ni–P Post‐Plating of Mo–Mn Metallized Al ₂ O ₃ Ceramics for RSOC Integration

ABSTRACT Ceramic metallization provides an effective insulation strategy for reversible solid oxide cell (RSOC) pipeline connections that are prone to side short‐circuiting. In this work, 95 wt.% Al ₂ O ₃ ceramics were metallized by the activated Mo–Mn method, and 15 metallization formulations with different Mo, MnO, Al ₂ O ₃ , and SiO ₂ contents were designed to optimize the microstructure, phase composition, and bonding strength of the metallized layer. The results show that, after sintering at 1400°C for 1 h, the optimal formulation consists of 70 wt.% Mo, 9 wt.% MnO, 6.3 wt.% Al ₂ O ₃ , and 14.7 wt.% SiO ₂ . Under this condition, the Mo skeleton is continuous, the activator melt forms a glassy phase, and a reliable transition layer is developed at the ceramic/metallization interface, yielding a shear strength of 146.3 MPa. Electroless Ni–P post‐plating on the optimized metallized surface produces a dense and continuous coating with typical nodular morphology and an average thickness of about 15–17 µm. The plated layer exhibits a relatively uniform hardness of 382.84 HV and maintains good structural integrity after 300 thermal‐shock cycles, demonstrating promising potential for RSOC‐related ceramic‐to‐metal insulating connection components.