Doped LaGaO₃ Based Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Materials and their Sintering Aspects: An Overview

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are electrochemical devices that offer advantages over conventional power generation systems in terms of their high efficiency of power generation, low emission of green house gases and the flexibility of fuel usage. The major research focus of recent times is to lower the operating temperature of SOFC in the range of 600 to 800°C so as to make it commercially viable. This reduction in temperature is largely dependent on finding an electrolyte material with adequate oxygen ion conductivity at the intended operating temperature. One much material is pervoskite LaGaO3 doped with Sr- and Mg- La1-xSrxGa1-yMgyO3-δ (LSGM) that shows very good oxygen ion conductivity at intermediate temperature (600-800°C) over a wide range of oxygen partial pressure. The aim of this overview is to highlight the contribution that materials chemistry has made to the development of LSGM based SOFCs.