A solid oxide fuel cell according to this invention can provide a solid oxide fuel cell with improved performance, by loading an alkali-based promoter in an anode.

A method for producing an anode capable of increasing output of a solid oxide fuel cell is provided. The method for producing an anode for a solid oxide fuel cell includes a first step of shaping a mixture that contains a perovskite oxide having proton conductivity and a nickel compound and a second step of firing a shaped product, which has been obtained in the first step, in an atmosphere containing 50% by volume or more of oxygen at 1100° C. to 1350° C. so as to generate an anode.

A cell including: a body having a first end portion and a second end portion; a first electrode layer electrically connected to the body; a solid electrolyte layer located on the first electrode layer; and a second electrode layer located on the solid electrolyte layer, wherein the body includes a plurality of gas-flow passages passing through the body from the first end portion to the second end portion; and the plurality of gas-flow passages include: one or more center-shifted gas-flow passages that include: a central portion and a first end portion; wherein a center of the one or more center-shifted gas-flow passages at the central portion is laterally shifted from a center of the one or more center- shifted gas-flow passages at the first end portion and a diameter of the one or more center-shifted gas-flow passages gradually increases from the central portion to the first end portion.

Herein discussed is a method of heating a material having a surface comprising exposing the surface to an electromagnetic radiation source emitting a first wavelength spectrum; receiving a second wavelength spectrum from the surface using a detector at a sampling frequency; wherein the first wavelength spectrum and the second wavelength spectrum have no greater than 10% of overlap, wherein the overlap is the integral of intensity with respect to wavelength. In an embodiment, the first wavelength spectrum and the second wavelength spectrum have no greater than 5% of overlap or no greater than 3% of overlap or no greater than 1% of overlap or no greater than 0.5% of overlap. In an embodiment, exposing the surface to the radiation source causes the material to sinter at least partially.

Provided is an air electrode or water electrolysis anode showing a higher catalytic activity than carbon black and not having a risk of oxidative degradation, in particular, an air electrode or water electrolysis anode for a metal-air battery or a water electrolysis apparatus. The air electrode or water electrolysis anode includes an electron-conductive material represented by LaNi.sub.1−x−yCu.sub.xFe.sub.yO.sub.3−δ (where x>0, y>0, x+y<1, and 0≦δ≦0.4).

Accelerated testing protocols that can be utilized for determining and projecting the durability of SOFC cathodes are described. The accelerated testing protocols can be carried out under simulated operation conditions so as to provide in a matter of a few hundred hours data that can correlate to the condition of the cathode following operation of the cell over the course of a typical operation life span of several thousand hours. A testing protocol can include cycling a SOFC from OCV to operating potential at a predetermined current density. Each cycle can be relatively short, for instance less than one minute.

A composite oxide powder including a composition formula (1), wherein the ratio α/β of a surface area value α(m.sup.2/g) calculated by a BET one-point method to a surface area value β(m.sup.2/g) calculated from a formula (2) is greater than 1.0 and equal to or less than 1.5 and the surface area value α is equal to or less than 20 m.sup.2/g. ABO.sub.3-δ (1) (wherein A is one or more types of elements (La, Sr, Sm, Ca and Ba), B is one or more types of elements (Fe, Co, Ni and Mn) and 0≤δ<1); and surface area value β(m.sup.2/g)=specific surface area value γ- surface area value ε(2) (the specific surface area value γ(m.sup.2/g) is a value in a total pore size range measured by a mercury intrusion method.The specific surface area value ε(m.sup.2/g) is a value in a range of pore sizes that are larger than a 50% cumulative particle size.

An electrochemical cell according to an embodiment includes a hydrogen electrode, an electrolyte laminated on the hydrogen electrode, a barrier-layer laminated on the electrolyte, and an oxygen electrode laminated on the barrier-layer. The barrier-layer has a porous structure having a thickness of greater than 20 μm and a porosity of greater than 10%.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of changing the porosity of the anode is presented. The anode is formed from a composition comprising nickel oxide, a doped ceria, and a stabilized zirconia wherein the weight percentage of the nickel oxide is greater than twenty-five percent. The anode may comprise a single or multiple layers, and may comprise at least one of gadolinia doped ceria (GDC), samaria doped ceria (SDC), or lanthania doped ceria (LDC); and at least one of Yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) or scandia stabilized zirconia (ScSZ). The anode may comprise multiple layers. Each layer may comprise a composition having the general formula NiO.sub.x-(doped ceria).sub.y wherein x and y are weight percentages of the composition, and wherein 25<x<100, and 25<y<100, and wherein each successive layer contains more nickel than the preceding layers.

Provided is a low-cost electrochemical element that includes a high-performance electrode layer. The electrochemical element includes an electrode layer, and the electrode layer contains small particles and large particles. The small particles have a particle diameter of 200 nm or less in the electrode layer, and the large particles have a particle diameter of 500 nm or more in the electrode layer.