Barium Oxide, Calcium Oxide, Magnesia, and Alkali Oxide Free Glass Seals for Solid Oxide Fuel/Electrolyzer Cells (SOFC/SOEC)
The invented glasses have potential application as sealants in both solid oxide fuel cell and solid oxide electrolyzer cell. Solid oxide fuel cell is becoming more attractive for production of electrical energy without emission of greenhouse gases. Solid oxide electrolyzer cell is a desired technology for clean synthetic fuel (such as hydrogen) production. Suitable sealant material is required to avoid the mixing of fuel (hydrogen or hydrocarbon) and oxidants (oxygen and air) in solid exide fuel cell, and steam and reactant gases in solid oxide electrolyzer cell, to avoid leaking of the gases. Seals are the key barrier for the high efficiency and long-term integrity of both cells. Although glasses are the best solution for these particular applications, it is very difficult to design a glass to fulfill all the required properties simultaneously.
In this invention, glass seals have been developed to achieve all the desired properties which are necessary for sealing the cell components in individual cell and also sealing the components of stacks which include metallic interconnects and manifolds. The invented glass seals are BaO, CaO, MgO, and alkali oxide free. The glass seals also contain little amount of or no B2O3. All the developed glasses in this invention have glass transition temperature in the range of 680-750 ºC, thermal expansion coefficient in the range of 10.5-12.5x10-6/ºC from room temperature to glass transition temperature, dilatometric softening temperature in the range of 720-820 ºC. The glasses are thermally stable up to 850 ºC. The sealing temperature of the developed glasses does not exceed 1000 ºC. The invented glass is suitable for the cells operating at 700-900 ºC for long term.
Inventors
- Peizhen Kathy Lu
- Manoj K. Mahapatra
Intellectual Property
Contact commercialization manager for patent and/or copyright information.
Commercialization Opportunity
For more information about this technology, please contact Michael Miller at Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties.
Fax:(540) 951-5292
mmiller@vtip.org