Anode with ceramic additives for molten carbonate fuel cell

1. A molten carbonate fuel cell anode comprising a porous anode body, said anode body comprising a nickel-based alloy and at least one ceramic additive, different from the nickel-based alloy, substantially uniformly dispersed throughout the anode body, wherein an amount of said at least one ceramic additive in said anode body being greater than 5% and up to 50% by volume and wherein said ceramic additive is selected from the group consisting of CeO 2 , yttrium doped ceria, yttrium doped zirconium, TiO 2 , Li 2 TiO 3 , LiAlO 2 and La 0.8 Sr 0.2 Co 0 3 , wherein a process of making said anode body comprises forming a slurry which comprises a nickel-based alloy mixed with at least one ceramic additive.

2. A molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the amount of said at least one ceramic additive in said anode body is greater than 5% and not more than 30% by volume.

3. A molten carbonate fuel cell in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said nickel-based alloy is selected from the group consisting of Ni—Cr alloy having 1-30% of Cr by weight and Ni—Al alloy having 1-30% of Al by weight.

4. A molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said ceramic additive comprises ceramic material which has same or better stability than LiAlO 2 during fuel cell operation.

5. A molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 4 , wherein said anode body is formed from Ni-alloy powder and ceramic additive powder, said ceramic additive powder having a mean particle size of less than 5 microns.

6. A molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 5 , wherein said Ni-alloy powder has a mean particle size between 10 and 60 microns.

7. A molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 6 , wherein said Ni-alloy powder has a mean particle size of about 20 microns.

8. A method of making a molten carbonate fuel cell anode comprising:

providing a nickel-based alloy;

providing at least one ceramic additive; and

forming said anode body from said nickel-based alloy and said at least one ceramic additive so that said ceramic additive is uniformly dispersed throughout said anode body,

wherein said forming comprises mixing the nickel-based alloy, to form a slurry and forming said anode body from the slurry,

wherein an amount of said at least one ceramic additive in said anode body is greater than 5% and up to 50% by volume, and

wherein said ceramic additive is selected from the group consisting of CeO 2 , yttrium doped ceria, yttrium doped zirconium, TiO 2 , Li 2 TiO 3 , LiAlO 2 and La 0.8 Sr 0.2 CoO 3 .

9. A method of making a molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the amount of said at least one ceramic additive in said anode body is greater than 5% and not more than 30% by volume.

10. A method of making a molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 8 , wherein said nickel-based alloy is one of Ni—Cr alloy having 1-30% of Cr by weight and Ni—Al alloy having 1-30% of Al by weight.

11. A method of making a molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 8 , wherein said ceramic additive comprises ceramic material which has same or better stability than LiAlO 2 during fuel cell operation.

12. A method of making a molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 11 , wherein said Ni-alloy is in powder form and wherein said at least one ceramic additive is in powder form having a mean particle size of less than 5 microns.

13. A method of making a molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 12 , wherein said Ni-alloy powder has a mean particle size of about 20 microns.

14. A method of making a molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 13 , further comprising preparing a binder solution and mixing said Ni-alloy powder and said ceramic additive powder with said binder solution to form an anode slurry, and wherein said anode body is formed from said anode slurry.

15. A method of making a molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 14 , wherein said binder solution comprises at least one of a binder, a dispersant, a solvent and a plasticizer.

16. A method of making a molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 15 , wherein said binder is an acryloid binder, said dispersant is fish oil, said solvent is reagent alcohol and said plasticizer is santicizer plasticizer.

17. A method of making a molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 15 , wherein said mixing said Ni-alloy powder and said ceramic additive powder with said binder solution is performed using a ball milling process.

18. A method of making a molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 14 , wherein said forming said anode body comprises tape casting said anode slurry at a predetermined thickness.

19. A method of making a molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 18 , wherein said predetermined thickness is 3-15 mils.

20. A method of making a molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 18 , wherein said forming said anode body further comprises drying said tapecast slurry at room temperature.

21. A method of making a molten carbonate fuel cell anode in accordance with claim 20 , wherein said forming said anode body further comprises laminating said anode on a porous support member after drying said slurry.

22. A molten carbonate fuel cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode;

an electrolyte situated between said cathode and said anode; and

wherein said anode comprises a porous anode body, said anode body comprising a nickel-based alloy and at least one ceramic additive, different from the nickel-based alloy, substantially uniformly dispersed throughout the anode body, wherein an amount of said at least one ceramic additive in said anode body being greater than 5% and up to 50% by volume, and wherein said ceramic additive is selected from the group consisting of CeO 2 , yttrium doped ceria, yttrium doped zirconia, TiO 2 , Li 2 TiO 3 , LiAlO 2 and La 0.8 Sr 0.2 CoO 3 , wherein a process of making said anode body comprises forming a slurry which comprises a nickel based alloy mixed with at least one ceramic additive.

23. A molten carbonate fuel cell in accordance with claim 22 , wherein the amount of said at least one ceramic additive in said anode body is greater than 5% and not more than 30% by volume.

24. A molten carbonate fuel cell in accordance with claim 22 , wherein said nickel-based alloy is one of Ni—Cr alloy having 1-30% of Cr by weight and Ni—Al alloy having 1-30% of Al by weight.

25. A molten carbonate fuel cell in accordance with claim 22 , wherein said ceramic material comprises ceramic material which has same or better stability than LiAlO 2 during fuel cell operation.

26. A molten carbonate fuel cell in accordance with claim 25 , wherein said anode body is formed from Ni-alloy powder and ceramic additive powder, said ceramic additive powder having a mean particle size of less than 5microns.

27. A molten carbonate fuel cell in accordance with claim 26 , wherein said Ni-alloy powder has a mean particle size between 10 and 60 microns.

28. A molten carbonate fuel cell in accordance with claim 27 , wherein said Ni-alloy powder has a mean particle size of about 20 microns.