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Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

Diane S Erickson

Estela T Ong

Leonard G Marianowski

Porous metal components for high temperature fuel cells which are made by integrating the heretofore employed, separate tape casting and pack cementation processes. Particles of a base metal and a master alloy are suspended in a liquid medium in which a binding agent and a halide activator are dispersed. The suspension is cast into the shape wanted in the component, typically by tape casting; and the cast structure is heated to remove the liquid medium, leaving a flexible, green cast structure commonly referred to as a tape. The green tape is so heated as to: (a) burn out the binder in the tape; (b) form an alloy of the base metal and an alloying metal in the master alloy; and (c) sinter the alloy particles into a porous, coherent metal structure.

Methods of manufacturing porous metal alloy fuel cell components

The present invention is directed to a method for forming porous oxide dispersion strengthened molten carbonate fuel cell anodes having improved anode creep resistance. The method comprises the steps of forming an alloy powder comprised of a base metal and an alloy metal, forming the alloy into a porous anode structure by sintering, and then placing the porous anode structure under conditions in which the base metal is reduced and the alloy metal is oxidized, thereby internally oxidizing the alloy metal to form oxide particles therein. Alternatively, the method of the present invention can comprise the steps of forming an alloy powder comprised of a base metal and an alloy metal, placing the alloy powder under conditions wherein the powder is oxidized only on its surface, thereby forming oxides of both the base metal and the alloy metal, and forming the oxidized alloy powder into a porous anode structure by simultaneous sintering and internally oxidizing the remaining unoxidized alloy metal by an oxygen exchange reaction between the base metal oxide the internal alloy metal.

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Chicago, IL, United States of America

Diane S Erickson