SÍNTESE E CARACTERIZAÇÃO DA PEROVISQUITA LaNi(1-x)CrxO3-d PARA UTILIZAÇÃO EM ÂNODO DE CÉLULAS A COMBUSTÍVEL

Abstract

Fuel cells are seen as a promising energy-generating technology for the future. These devices have several advantages such as the variety of fuels to be used and a simplicity in the operating system. There are many types of fuel cells and the most interesting ones are the solid oxide fuel cells (CaCOS), because they have a higher conversion efficiency, reaching 65%. Among the devices of the fuel cell, the anode is the one that maintains contact with the fuel, thus, it must present characteristics such as thermal stability, good compatibility with the electrolyte, electronic conductivity and good catalytic activity. Research is being developed for fuel cell components in order to make this technology commercially viable. For the anode, the researches developed are with materials based on nickel, copper, lanthanum, platinum and cobalt. The researches also show that materials with perovisquita structure present great potential when used as anode. For the present work the study of the perovisquitas of the LaNi (1-x) CrxO3-d system was proposed, and the possibility of use as an anode for fuel cells was proposed. For this, 3 compositions LNC37 (x = 7), LNC55 (x = 5) and LNC73 (x = 3) were studied. The compositions were obtained by the Pechini method, the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray dispersive energy spectroscopy, and impedance spectroscopy. The composition LNC73 presented a rhombohedral structure of the R-3c space group, however in the studied sintering temperature values this composition showed the presence of a second phase formed by La2NiO4, not demonstrating a structural stability suitable for use in fuel cell electrodes. Among the studied compositions the compositions LNC37 and LNC55 presented only one phase with orthorhombic structure of the space group Pnma, and they gathered properties that indicate the possibility of being used as anode of solid oxide fuel cells.