Affordable Fuel Cells May Get Boost From Artificial Diamonds

Affordable Fuel Cells May Get Boost From Artificial Diamonds

April 27, 2010

(PhysOrg.com) -- Using specialized cubic zirconia or artificial diamonds, scientists from Nanjing Normal University in China and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory designed a membrane that could allow solid oxide fuel cells to operate at lower temperatures and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. This new membrane, created by adding scandium to cubic zirconia, passes oxygen faster and at temperatures far lower than the more common yttria-stabilized zirconia.

...

In this study, the team investigated why some materials are better than others at passing oxygen along. "We could take an Edisonian approach—trying 10,000 materials, but it would be expensive, and we'd be here forever," said Dr. Ram Devanathan, a materials scientist at PNNL. "So, we are using all of the tools we have in EMSL—experimental, computational, and theoretical—to look into the materials."

Using oxygen-plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy, the researchers grew scandia-stabilized zirconia films on sapphire substrates. The films were examined using x-ray diffraction, electron spectroscopy, and microscopy.

However, experimental data alone was not enough, Devanathan explained. Imagine taking photos at the beginning and end of a raucous party. The photos, like the experiments, show you where you began and where you ended. However, theory shows what happened and why. Theory also allows predictions about what will happen next and what would happen under different circumstances.

So, the team applied theoretical calculations and models to the experimental data. They determined that the nanoscale, nanosecond interactions occurring in the scandia-doped cubic film conducted oxygen faster than the yttrium doping in current electrolytes.

...