Evaluation of Ni-Ni₃Al(5 wt.%)-Al(3 wt.%) as an anode electrode for molten carbonate fuel cell: Part I: Creep and sintering resistance

To develop an anode electrode of molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) that has higher creep and sintering resistance and more stable reactivity than the traditional anode electrode, the five kinds of nickel anode electrodes such as Ni-Al(5), Ni-Cr(10), Ni-Ni₃Al(7), Ni-Ni₃Al(5)-Cr(5) and Ni-Ni₃Al(5)-Al(3) (number in parenthesis means the weight percent of its component) were prepared and their performance were investigated under the same conditions of MCFC operation. In part I of our study, their relative creep and sintering resistance were compared. The Ni-Ni₃Al(5)-Al(3) anode electrode was the most resistant against the sintering and its porosity was kept over 60% even at 1000 °C. And its porosity decrease and thickness shrinkage by creep were the least among the five kinds of anode electrodes. Thus, the effects of the aluminum and nickel-aluminum intermetallic compound (Ni ₃Al) addition to nickel as the dispersant strengthening and the solid solution strengthening agents were confirmed by comparative tests for sintering and creep resistance of five kinds of anode electrodes. Besides these results, we could also know that the creep of anode electrode for MCFC mostly proceeded within 60 h from the start of operation irrespective of the kinds of anode electrodes. And in part II of paper, for more information about the wetting ability and cell performances of these five kinds of anode electrodes, the measurement of wetting ability and unit cell operations were carried out.