Pr5Mo3O16 + δ: A New Anode Material for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Abstract

The thermomechanical and electrical conductivity properties of praseodymium molybdate Pr₅Mo₃O_{16 + δ} prepared by a solid-phase method were studied. The electrical conductivity of praseodymium molybdate samples measured at temperatures in the range 373–1173 K with the oxygen partial pressure in the gas of 10^–3 to 0.21 atm was found to increase from ~10^–7 to ~10^–2 S/cm and to be almost independent of oxygen pressure. It is for the first time that electrical conductivity a reductive atmosphere (Ar/H₂ 5%) was found to increase from 0.1 to 1.2 S/cm in the same temperature range. Studies of the chemical stability of Pr₅Mo₃O_{16 + δ} with respect to solid electrolytes showed the absence of chemical reactions with GDC at 1273 K and with YSZ at 1223 K. The combination of these properties evidences for the potential of praseodymium molybdate for use as an anode material for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).