Sintering behavior of BaCe0.7Zr0.1Y0.2O3-δ electrolyte at 1150 °C with the utilization of CuO and Bi2O3 as sintering aids and its electrical performance

BaCe0.7Zr0.1Y0.2O3-δ (BCZY) is one of the promising electrolytic candidate for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) due to its good proton conductivity and better stability. Herein, the effect of dual sintering aids such as CuO-Bi2O3 upon the sinterability at low temperature, improved electrochemical properties, and thermo-chemical changes about proton-conducting BaCe0.7Zr0.1Y0.2O3-δ electrolyte were investigated in detail. FESEM micrographs and shrinkage curves revealed significant improvement in sinterability and densifications of BCZY electrolyte. The dense pellets were sintered with CuO-Bi2O3 (2–3 mol %) as sintering aids at a temperature of 1150 °C for 5 h. The perfectly uniform distribution of sintering aids increased the linear shrinkage of BCZY from 5% till 19–21%. The crystallite size and grain growth within the structure was enhanced due to the formation of the melting phase of Bi2O3 and Cu2+ incorporation in the perovskite structure. The elevated and improved electrochemical measurement for BCZY with 2 mol% of CuO-Bi2O3 as sintering aid categorized it well suited for solid oxide fuel cells.