Chemical and electrical properties of LSM cathodes prepared by mechanosynthesis

Mechanosynthesis of La1-xSrxMnO3 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1) was carried out at room temperature from stoichiometric mixtures of La2O3, Mn2O3 and SrO, obtaining monophasic powders with the perovskite structure. Physical properties of these materials and their chemical compatibility with the electrolyte yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ), which depend strongly on the La/Sr ratio, were evaluated to corroborate availability to be implemented as cathode material in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Electrical conductivity values in air ranged between 100 and 400 S cm-1 in the temperature range of 25-850 C. Samples presented low reactivity with YSZ in the working temperature range (600-1000 C) maintaining the grain size small enough to preserve the catalytic activity for oxygen reduction.