The research objective of this Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) project is to elucidate the mechanisms that are responsible for structural evolution in conductive oxide coatings on high-temperature alloy interconnects for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The research will result in a more fundamental understanding of the roles of interdiffusion, reaction layer formation and applied electric field on the structural and electrical characteristics of oxide coatings. The research approach utilizes pulsed laser deposition to produce model coatings with the chemistries of current generation SOFC coatings and interlayers but with morphologies that are better suited to well-controlled mechanistic studies. Post-deposition structural development in model coatings and interlayers will be characterized as a function of exposure conditions using advanced ion- and electron-beam analysis techniques. The data obtained from the model coatings/interlayers will be used as critical inputs to multi-layer models of oxide scale development and properties. The successful completion of this project will provide the basis for better predictive modeling of lifetimes for existing coated alloy SOFC interconnects and of the properties for new coatings with superior properties.
This GOALI project is a collaboration between the University of Connecticut (UConn) and United Technologies Research Center (UTRC) and will involve both full-time UConn graduate students and UTRC employees pursuing UConn graduate degrees on a part-time basis. These students will benefit both from formal graduate education and from hands-on training through involvement in the research at both sites. The students will also be involved in the broader educational outreach activities of the group aimed at bringing an appreciation of MSE to local K-12 students. Key results from the research will be disseminated through: publication in the open literature, presentation at conferences, workshops held at UTRC, and integration of examples into outreach materials.
