Apatite-type La₁₀(SiO₄)₆O₃ electrolyte coatings based on intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) were deposited onto an aluminum substrate by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). By proper selection of the spray parameters to adjust the particles velocity and temperature, the sprayed La₁₀(SiO₄)₆O₃ electrolyte coatings show a good densification and the highest ionic conductivity, 6.8×10^-6 S cm^-1 at 435 ºC in air with an activation energy of 0.46 eV, which is comparable to other apatite-type lanthanum silicate (ATLS) conductors. The results suggested that the use of APS allowed providing new opportunities to meliorate the conduction properties of electrolytes for IT-SOFCs with lower production costs.
Keywords: Apatite-type lanthanum silicate (ATLS) coating; Atmospheric plasma spraying (APS); Intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs)