Method to Measure Area Specific Resistance and Chromium Migration Simultaneously from Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Interconnect Materials

Chromium evaporation is identified as a major degradation mechanism in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks. The major chromium source is the commonly used stainless steel interconnects, thus raising a need for protective coatings on the interconnect steel. Ex situ characterization methods of protective coatings involve chromium evaporation measurements, area specific resistance (ASR) measurements and long-term exposure tests. To replicate stack conditions, commonly used ASR measurement setups should be further developed. This work presents an improved characterization method for steels and coatings and aims to be an extension to state-of-the-art characterization methods. The studied steel samples, bare or coated, are placed adjacent to palladium foils with a screen-printed lanthanum-strontium-cobalt (LSC) layer and the resistivity over the pair is measured. The method offers similar contact materials, chromium migration mechanisms, electrical contacts and chemical interactions, as seen in stacks. Further, it enables post-test chromium migration analysis with electron microscopy. Demonstration of the method validated that protective coatings hindered both oxidation and chromium migration from the substrate steels. The presented method could aid in accelerating protective coating development.