Observing the microstructural evolution of Ni-Yttria-stabilized zirconia solid oxide fuel cell anodes

Abstract This report describes a transmission X-ray microscopy observation of the high-temperature microstructural evolution of a solid oxide fuel cell Ni-Yttria-stabilized zirconia (Ni-YSZ) anode. Unlike prior studies that compared microstructural differences between different anodes, this three-dimensional measurement directly shows the changes occurring in the same region of an anode, enabling a new understanding of evolutionary processes. High-temperature ageing for 48 h at 1050 °C yielded substantial structural changes in the Ni, YSZ and pore networks, including coalescence of Ni particles, leading to a three-fold decrease in three phase boundary length. Implications for fuel cell long-term degradation are discussed.