Nanostructural Changes in a Ni/NiO
Cermet During High-Temperature
Reduction and Reoxidation
Yevhen Kharchenko, Zinoviy Blikharskyy, Volodymyr Vira, B. D. Vasyliv,
V. Ya. Podhurska, Andriy Kalynovskyy, and Vitaliy Korendiy
1 Introduction
A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is used for the direct conversion of the chemical
energy of hydrogen or another fuel directly into electrical energy. It is considered
a promising clean technology for power generation. Nickel-containing cermets are
the most used materials for anode substrates of SOFCs. During the operation of an
SOFC, the metallic nickel phase of the YSZ–Ni anode undergoes transformations
due to high operating temperature and other auxiliary factors [1–3]. Oxygen available
in an operating gas atmosphere can substantially affect the cermet structure. At high
temperature (600 °C and more), nickel oxidizes rapidly if the oxygen partial pressure
is high enough. The electrolyte and anode substrate can be destroyed as a result of
the volume increase during oxidation.
The reasons for reoxidation of nickel at the operating temperature can be as
follows: (1) in the case of intense fuel inlet, the oxygen partial pressure critically
increases in local microvolumes [4]; (2) small air leakage toward the anode can
occur while increasing the oxygen partial pressure in air channels [5]; (3) there can
Y. Kharchenko · Z. Blikharskyy · V. Vira
Institute of Building and Environmental Engineering, Lviv Polytechnic National University, 12
S. Bandera str., Lviv 79000, Ukraine
B. D. Vasyliv (B) · V. Ya. Podhurska
Karpenko Physico-Mechanical Institute, NAS of Ukraine, 5 Naukova str., Lviv 79060, Ukraine
e-mail: mechengin1111@gmail.com
A. Kalynovskyy
Department of Foreign and Custom Activities, Lviv Polytechnic National University,
12 S. Bandera str., Lviv 79000, Ukraine
B. D. Vasyliv · V. Korendiy
Department of Mechanics and Automation Engineering, Lviv Polytechnic National University, 12
S. Bandera str., Lviv 79000, Ukraine
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
O. Fesenko and L. Yatsenko (eds.), Nanomaterials and Nanocomposites,
Nanostructure Surfaces, and Their Applications, Springer Proceedings
in Physics 246, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51905-6_17
219
Cermet During High-Temperature
Reduction and Reoxidation
Yevhen Kharchenko, Zinoviy Blikharskyy, Volodymyr Vira, B. D. Vasyliv,
V. Ya. Podhurska, Andriy Kalynovskyy, and Vitaliy Korendiy
1 Introduction
A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is used for the direct conversion of the chemical
energy of hydrogen or another fuel directly into electrical energy. It is considered
a promising clean technology for power generation. Nickel-containing cermets are
the most used materials for anode substrates of SOFCs. During the operation of an
SOFC, the metallic nickel phase of the YSZ–Ni anode undergoes transformations
due to high operating temperature and other auxiliary factors [1–3]. Oxygen available
in an operating gas atmosphere can substantially affect the cermet structure. At high
temperature (600 °C and more), nickel oxidizes rapidly if the oxygen partial pressure
is high enough. The electrolyte and anode substrate can be destroyed as a result of
the volume increase during oxidation.
The reasons for reoxidation of nickel at the operating temperature can be as
follows: (1) in the case of intense fuel inlet, the oxygen partial pressure critically
increases in local microvolumes [4]; (2) small air leakage toward the anode can
occur while increasing the oxygen partial pressure in air channels [5]; (3) there can
Y. Kharchenko · Z. Blikharskyy · V. Vira
Institute of Building and Environmental Engineering, Lviv Polytechnic National University, 12
S. Bandera str., Lviv 79000, Ukraine
B. D. Vasyliv (B) · V. Ya. Podhurska
Karpenko Physico-Mechanical Institute, NAS of Ukraine, 5 Naukova str., Lviv 79060, Ukraine
e-mail: mechengin1111@gmail.com
A. Kalynovskyy
Department of Foreign and Custom Activities, Lviv Polytechnic National University,
12 S. Bandera str., Lviv 79000, Ukraine
B. D. Vasyliv · V. Korendiy
Department of Mechanics and Automation Engineering, Lviv Polytechnic National University, 12
S. Bandera str., Lviv 79000, Ukraine
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
O. Fesenko and L. Yatsenko (eds.), Nanomaterials and Nanocomposites,
Nanostructure Surfaces, and Their Applications, Springer Proceedings
in Physics 246, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51905-6_17
219