NiO-yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) hollow fiber anode support with different microstructures was prepared using a phase-inversion method. The effect of the solid loading of the phase-inversion suspensions on the microstructure development of the NiO-YSZ anode support was investigated. Solid loading in the suspension was found to have an important influence on the microstructure of the NiO-YSZ anode support and viscosity-related viscous fingering mechanism can be adopted to explain the pore formation mechanism of the as-prepared hollow fibers. NiO-YSZ anode-supported microtubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with different anode microstructures were fabricated and tested, and the correlation between the anode support microstructures, porosity, gas permeability, electrical conductivity, and the cell electrochemical performance was discussed. Microtubular SOFCs with a cell configuration of Ni-YSZ/YSZ/YSZ-LSM (LSM = (La(0.8)Sr(0.2))(0.95)MnO(3-x)) and optimized anode microstructure show cell output power density of 833.9 mW cm(-2) at 750 °C using humidified H2 as fuel and ambient air as oxidant.
Keywords: microtubular SOFC; phase inversion; solid loading; viscosity; viscous fingering.