Three-Dimensional Microstructural Imaging of Sulfur Poisoning-Induced Degradation in a Ni-YSZ Anode of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Following exposure to ppm-level hydrogen sulfide at elevated temperatures, a section of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) Ni-YSZ anode was examined using a combination of synchrotron-based x-ray nanotomography and x-ray fluorescence techniques. While fluorescence measurements provided elemental identification and coarse spatial mapping, x-ray nanotomography was used to map the detailed 3-D spatial distribution of Ni, YSZ, and a nickel-sulfur poisoning phase. The nickel-sulfur layer was found to form a scale covering most of the exposed nickel surface, blocking most fuel reformation and hydrogen oxidation reaction sites. Although the exposure conditions precluded the ability to develop a detailed kinetic description of the nickel-sulfur phase formation, the results provide strong evidence of the detrimental effects of 100 ppm hydrogen sulfide on typical Ni-YSZ anode materials.