An Anode-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Half-Cell Fabricated by Hybrid 3D Inkjet Printing and Laser Treatment

A NiO-10YSZ/10YSZ half-cell for anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) was fabricated using 3D inkjet printing and layer-by-layer laser treatment of printing compositions followed by thermal sintering by a co-firing method. The optimal granulometric composition and rheological characteristics of the printing compositions to fabricate the NiO-10YSZ (60:40 wt.%) anode support, NiO-10YSZ (40:60 wt.%) anode functional layer (AFL), and 10YSZ electrolyte were determined. Effects of the pore former and laser post-treatment on the morphology of the as-prepared anodes for the manufacture of SOFC anode supports were studied, and the optimum laser exposure for hybrid 3D printing was determined. A mechanism of influence of the exposure of laser post-treatment on the morphology of the NiO-10YSZ anode supports has been proposed. The mass content of 10YSZ and the number of layers were shown to affect the surface microstructure and the thickness of the thin-film electrolytes deposited on the surface of the anode supports. The hybrid inkjet 3D printing offers great opportunities as it allows a one-pot procedure to fabricate a NiO-10YSZ/10YSZ SOFC half-cell for SOFC anode supports.