Application of high velocity oxygen fuel flame (HVOF) spraying to fabrication of La_0.8Sr_0.2Ga_0.8Mg_0.2O₃ electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cells

La_0.8Sr_0.2Ga_0.8Mg_0.2O₃ (LSGM) is considered a promising electrolyte for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) due to its high ionic conductivity and stability under fuel cell operating conditions. Here we report our findings in investigating the feasibility of using a high velocity oxygen fuel flame (HVOF) spraying process for cost-effective fabrication of dense LSGM electrolyte membranes. The flame and in-flight particle behavior were simulated numerically to optimize the microstructure and phase compositions of the LSGM deposits. The measured gas leakage rate of an LSGM deposit is ∼7 × 10^-7 cm⁴gf^-1 s^-1. The single cell assembled with 50-55 μm HVOF-sprayed LSGM electrolyte shows open circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.08 V at 800°C, suggesting that the as-sprayed LSGM deposit is dense enough for direct application as SOFC electrolyte. At 800°C, the ionic conductivity of the sprayed LSGM deposit is ∼0.04 S cm^-1, indicating that the HVOF spraying is a promising process for low-temperature fabrication of dense LSGM electrolyte membranes for IT-SOFCs.