Electrochemical properties of the mullite/zirconia composites

Abstract

This paper reports the study of electrochemical properties of the mullite/zirconia composite materials. This study involves the determination of electromotive force (EMF) for a solid state galvanic cell based on the composite material as an oxygen conductor. The EMF was determined by oxygen activity imposed on both sides of the solid electrolyte involving a reference gas (air) and a studied gas (oxygen-nitrogen mixture) under atmospheric pressure. The studied temperature range between 953 and 1553K. It was found there is a good agreement between experimental data and those resulted from the Nerst law at lower temperature and higher p(02). A small difference between the two was observed at the lower p(O2)) and at higher temperature. It was found that at higher temperatures the composite material is a much better oxygen conductor than yttria stabilised zirconia.