Synthesis and characterization of molten carbonate fuel cell anode materials

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MOLTEN CARBONATEFUEL CELL ANODE MATERIALS(M. Sc. Thesis)Uğur Can İYİDİRGAZI UNIVERSITYINSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYJanuary 2007ABSTRACTThe developed countries make more invesment on ( pay more attentionto) reproducable, clean energy sources beacause of the politicalrestrictions, increase in patrol prices and harmfull environment effectsof fossil fuels.Hydrogen energy, known as environment friendly, is considered as analternative to the fossil fuels. The studies on fuel cells which areimportant implementation of hydrogen energy incrase day by day. Themolten carbonate is a type of fuel cell which uses hydrogen energy.Since the molten carbonate has high energy potential, this energysource can be used in industrial applications. In this study, the anodeand cathode of molten carbonate fuel cells are synthesized andcharacterized. Three different types of anode materials for moltencarbonate fuelcells are synthesized using tape-casting method. Thesematerials are nickel, nickel-chrome tape, including %5 chrome andnickel-chrome tape, including %10 chrome.NiO which is a cathode material of molten carbonate fuel cell isat 6500C atmosphericobtained by calcination of green nickel tapecondition. SEM photography of NiO were taken and TGA-DTA analysisof NiO is carried out.Nickel, nickel-chrome tape, including %5 chrome and nickel-chrometape, including %10 chrome were hydoregenated by using threedifferent hydrogen-nitrogen mixtures (%30H2, %50H2, %100H2) at twodiffrent temperatures (650-800oC). The anode material is obatained as aresult of hydogeneration.The SEM photos of anode materials which were obtained fromhydrogeneration are taken. Also surface areas of anode materials weremeasured by using BET. The surface area of nickel was measured as2,83 m2/g, the surface area of nickel-chrome tape, including %5chrome was measured as 5,28 m2/g, the surface area of nickel -chrome tape, including %10 chrome was measured as 3,05 m2/g. Inorder to increase the surface area of synthesized anode materials,synthesized anode materials are dipped to Aluminia solution which isprepared by sol-jel method using impregsion method and surfaceplating process is achieved. The SEM photos of anode materials whichobtained from plating process were taken. Surface areas of anodematerials were measured by using BET. The surface area of nickel wasmeasured as 3,71 m2/g, the surface area of nickel-chrome tape,including %5 chrome was measured as 7,27 m2/g, the surface area ofnickel-chrome tape, including %10 chrome was measured as 4,07m2/g. Also Porosity of anode materials were measured. The Porosity ofnickel was measured as 0,48, The Porosity of nickel-chrome tape,including %5 chrome was measured as 0,51, the Porosity of nickel -chrome tape, including %10 chrome was measured as 0,50.Science Code :912.1.092Keywords :Molten carbonate fuel cell,, Ni,Cr, AnodePage Number :98Adviser :Asist.Prof.Dr. Göksel ÖZKAN