A Novel SOFC/SOEC Sealing Glass with a Low SiO₂ Content and a High Thermal Expansion Coefficient  

Solid oxide cells require seals that can function in harsh, elevated temperature environments. In the case of solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC), also a low Si content is desired, since Si impurities from the glass sealing can be transported to the active fuel electrode and poison the Ni-YSZ triple phase boundaries.

To reduce the amount of Si emission, a low Si containing sealing glass (chemical composition: 48 mol% CaO, 19 mol% ZnO, 21 mol% B2O3 and 12 mol% SiO2) was developed at DTU. In this presentation, the results from thermal characterization, like thermal expansion coefficient, glass transition temperature, crystallization temperature, etc., of the glass will be presented. Additionally, the crystallization behavior of the glass was analyzed by in-situ X-ray diffraction, recording temperature resolved XRD spectra from 30 °C up to 900 °C.

Furthermore, the long-term stability and the adhesion behavior of the glass were studied under relevant SOFC and SOEC conditions. The stability of sealed Crofer/Glass/NiO-YSZ assemblies in reducing atmosphere and in air was investigated for over 500 h at temperatures between 750 °C and 850 °C. Additionally, a cell component test was performed to investigate the durability of the glass seal when exposed to dual atmosphere environments. The seals performed well over 400 h under fuel cell and electrolysis operation conditions, and no cell degradation or leakage related to the sealing was found, indicating that the developed glass system is applicable for the use in SOFC/SOEC stacks.