Hadi Ebrahimifar - Post graduate student
Morteza Zandrahimi - Associate Professor, Department of Material Science and Engineering, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman

The formed oxide layer on interconnects in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) decrease the electrical conductivity and therefore energy losses can be occurred. The electrical conductivity of ferritic stainless steels can be improved by coating it with a protective/conductive layer. In this study AISI 430 ferritic stainless steel was coated in a cobalt-base pack mixture by pack cementation method. The effect of oxide scale thickness on the area specific resistance (ASR) was evaluated by applying isothermal oxidation. This effect was also investigated in different temperatures (400 – 700 ºC). Spinels forming (MnCo2O4, CoCr2O4, CoFe2O4 and Co3O4) during annealing ameliorated oxidation resistance and electrical conductivity. Results showed that the increase of isothermal oxidation time and increase of temperature, increase the oxide thickness and it cause to the higher values of ASR.

Cr2O3, Solid oxide fuel cell, AISI 430 ferritic stainless steel, Area specific resistance (ASR)