Performance of composite LaCoO3-La-2(Zr,Y)(2)O-7 cathodes

Composite cathodes were prepared by high temperature reaction and screen pr inted onto a ceria-gadolinia electrolyte. Different depositions and/or firi ng conditions were used to change the electrode microstructures. A combinat ion of steady state cathodic polarisation measurements and impedance spectr oscopy was used to evaluate the performance of these cathodes and to invest igate the effects of the most representative microstructural features. Both types of results suggest different mechanisms for relatively low and high cathodic polarisation. The results obtained for the best composite cathodes an comparable to results obtained for La1-xSrxCo1-yFeyO3-delta, and are mu ch better than those obtained for La1-xSrxMnO3-delta. (C) 2000 Elsevier Sci ence B.V. All rights reserved.