Method of processing a ceramic electrolyte, and related articles

1. A method for processing a ceramic electrolyte suitable for use in a fuel cell, the method comprising the steps of:

situating a ceramic electrolyte layer over an anode layer, wherein the electrolyte layer comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of microcracks extending at least partially between the two surfaces, such that the bottom surface of the electrolyte layer is adjacent to the anode layer; and

pre-treating the ceramic electrolyte layer prior to operation of the fuel cell, by subjecting the ceramic electrolyte layer to a stress sufficient to initiate microcracks in the electrolyte layer, by:

exposing the top surface of the electrolyte layer to an oxidizing atmosphere and the bottom surface of the electrolyte layer to a reducing atmosphere; and

heating the electrolyte layer, wherein the stress causes a substantial increase in the number of microcracks, or in the average size of the microcracks, or in both the number of microcracks and their average size;

and then infiltrating the pre-treated ceramic electrolyte layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein heating comprises heating at a temperature in a range from about 650° C. to about 1000° C.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein infiltrating comprises infiltrating the pre-treated ceramic electrolyte layer with a liquid precursor comprising at least one oxidizable metal ion, so as to obtain an infiltrated ceramic electrolyte layer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the liquid precursor comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of an acetate, a chloride, a carbonate, and a molten nitrate material.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising heating the infiltrated ceramic electrolyte layer to a temperature sufficient to convert at least some of the metal ion to an oxide, to significantly reduce the average size of a selected number of microcracks, and to densify the layer.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein heating comprises heating the infiltrated ceramic electrolyte layer at a temperature in the range from about 250° C. to about 800° C.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic electrolyte comprises a material selected from the group consisting of zirconia, ceria, hafnia, bismuth oxide, lanthanum gallate, and thoria.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic electrolyte layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of yttria-stabilized zirconia, rare-earth-oxide-stabilized zirconia, scandia-stabilized zirconia, rare-earth doped ceria, alkaline-earth doped ceria, stabilized hafnia, rare-earth oxide stabilized bismuth oxide, and lanthanum strontium magnesium gallate.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic electrolyte layer comprises yttria-stabilized zirconia.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anode layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a noble metal, a transition metal, a cermet, a ceramic, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the anode layer comprises a material selected from the consisting of nickel, a nickel alloy, cobalt, nickel-yttria stabilized zirconia cermet, copper-yttria stabilized zirconia cermet, nickel-ceria cermet, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anode layer comprises nickel.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein situating the ceramic electrolyte layer over the anode layer comprises depositing the ceramic electrolyte layer over the anode layer.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein depositing comprises a method selected from the group consisting of thermal spraying, physical vapor deposition, electron beam physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, tape casting, screen-printing, and sol gel coating.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein thermal spraying comprises a technique selected from the group consisting of air plasma spraying, flame spraying, vacuum plasma spray, low pressure plasma spray, and detonation coating.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the thermal spraying comprises air plasma spray.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein subjecting the ceramic electrolyte layer to a stress comprises heating the electrolyte layer situated over the anode layer in a nitrogen atmosphere, inert atmosphere, reducing atmosphere, or a mixture thereof.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the nitrogen atmosphere comprises a nitrogen content in a range from about 1 volume percent to about 100 volume percent.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the reducing atmosphere comprises a hydrogen content in a range from about 1 volume percent to about 100 volume percent.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantial increase in the number of microcracks results in an increase by at least about 5% in permeability, as measured in air.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantial increase in the average size of the microcracks comprises an increase by at least about 20% in permeability, as measured in air.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell comprises a solid oxide fuel cell.

23. A method for processing a ceramic electrolyte suitable for use in a fuel cell, the method comprising the steps of:

situating a ceramic electrolyte layer over an anode layer, wherein the electrolyte layer comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, and a number of microcracks extending at least partially between the two surfaces, such that the bottom surface of the electrolyte layer is adjacent to the anode layer;

pretreating the ceramic electrolyte layer prior to operation of the fuel cell, by subjecting the ceramic electrolyte layer to a stress sufficient to initiate microcracks in the electrolyte layer, by:

exposing the top surface of the electrolyte layer to an oxidizing atmosphere, and the bottom surface of the electrolyte layer to a reducing atmosphere; and

heating the electrolyte layer, wherein the stress causes a substantial increase in the number of microcracks, or in the size of the microcracks, or in both the number of the microcracks and their size;

infiltrating the pre-treated ceramic electrolyte layer with a liquid precursor comprising at least one oxidizable metal ion, so as to obtain an infiltrated ceramic electrolyte layer; and

heating the infiltrated ceramic electrolyte layer to a temperature sufficient to convert at least some of the metal ions to an oxide, thereby, significantly reducing the average size of a selected number of microcracks.

24. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising: an anode, a cathode, and a ceramic electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode, wherein the ceramic electrolyte is formed by a method comprising:

situating a ceramic electrolyte layer over an anode layer, wherein the electrolyte layer comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, and a number of microcracks extending at least partially between the two surfaces, such that the bottom surface of the electrolyte layer is adjacent to the anode layer;

pre-treating the ceramic electrolyte layer prior to operation of the fuel cell, by

subjecting the ceramic electrolyte layer to a stress sufficient to initiate microcracks in the electrolyte layer,

by:

exposing the top surface of the ceramic electrolyte layer to an oxidizing atmosphere and the bottom surface of the electrolyte layer to a reducing atmosphere;

heating the ceramic electrolyte layer, wherein the stress causes a substantial increase in the number of microcracks, or in the average size of the microcracks, or in both the number of the microcracks and their average size;

infiltrating the ceramic electrolyte layer with a liquid precursor comprising at least one oxidizable metal ion, so as to obtain an infiltrated ceramic electrolyte layer; and

heating the infiltrated ceramic electrolyte layer to a temperature sufficient to convert at least some of the metal ions to metal oxides, thereby significantly reducing the average size of a selected number of microcracks.

25. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 24 , wherein the ceramic electrolyte comprises yttria-stabilized zirconia.

26. The solid oxide fuel cell of claim 24 , wherein the ceramic electrolyte has a gas permeability, measured in air, of less than about 8×10 −11 cm 2 Pa −1 sec −1 .