Characterization of SDC-Al < inf > 2 < /inf > O < inf > 3 < /inf > solid electrolyte

Abstract

SDC20-Al2O3 materials were synthesized through the sol-gel method. Dense SDC20-Al2O3 ceramics were obtained through sintering the pellets at 1300°C. SDC20-Al2O3 materials were characterized by XRD, SEM and impedance spectroscopy. XRD measurements indicate that synthesized materials crystallized in cubic structure. Average crystallite size of the samples was in the range 11-12 nm. The relative density of SDC20-Al2O3 samples was over 95% of the theoretical density. Addition of Al2O3 promotes densification. Surface morphology was analyzed using SEM. The two-probe a.c. impedance spectroscopy was used to study the total ionic conductivity of doped and co-doped ceria in the temperature range 350-700°C. The SDC20-Al 2O3 composition showed improved total ionic conductivity and minimum activation energy. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.