Protective Ceramic Coatings for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell SOFC) Balance-of-Plant Components

The Department of Energy is seeking development of technologies to extract power from coal while expanding environmental protection and confronting global climate change. Protective Coatings are needed for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell SOFC) Balance-of-Plant BOP) component stainless steels used in cathode air management at 700 C to 900 C and humidified air evolve chromium Cr) vapor species that poison SOFC cathodes, degrading performance. Low-cost coatings for hot BOP components are desired to reduce/eliminate Cr species evolution. Evaluation will include performance Cr species evolution) under high-temperature, high humidity and production/processing cost at high volume. The company will develop low-cost stainless steel alloy coatings for cathode-side hot piping and/or heat exchangers. We will develop cost effective slurry/spray coatings for interior surfaces piping with joint welds, baffles, etc.) and irregular geometries, having Cr-volatility mitigation as effective as industrial pack cementation and vapor coatings. We will develop a BOP components sol-gel seal paint or ink based on YSZ and/or alumina. BOP sealant will be a paint or ink that can be applied by a low-cost dipping operation, and fired to produce a dense, adherent, thin ~1-2 m), 8 mol% YSZ coating paint or ink for ferritic stainless steels, from low cost alumina-forming austenitic alloy AFA) stainless steels to higher cost Allegheny Ludlum 441. These coatings will serve as barrier surfaces for BOP components.

This BOP sealant will improve SOFCs by providing long lifetime reliability and the ability to be integrated into the nations power grid system. The sealant can be applied to heat exchangers, heat pumps, heat pipes, chemical reactors. The improved SOFCs will have application in several markets: 1) the co-generation market, 2) backup power for buildings, hospitals, law enforcement facilities, homes, and small remote facilities, and 3) auxiliary power units APUs) for trucks, recreational vehicles, ships, and aircraft.