On the high creep resistant morphology and its formation mechanism in Ni–10 wt.% Cr anodes for molten carbonate fuel cells

Abstract

Two Ni–10 wt.% Cr anodes with different morphologies of Cr₂O₃ dispersion are fabricated for molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) through different sintering procedures. The effect of the morphology on the creep resistance of the anode and the mechanism of its formation are investigated. The anode morphology is characterized as a fine oxide dispersion when sintered through a procedure including partial oxidation and reduction, or as a coarse oxide dispersion when sintered conventionally in a reducing atmosphere. The fine oxide dispersion anode exhibits a much higher creep resistance than the coarse oxide dispersion anode. A mechanism is suggested for the formation of the fine oxide dispersion morphology and thus the relatively high creep resistance.