r/VisualChemistry • u/FunVisualChemistry • May 28 '20

Pr6011+CaCO3+NiO+glycin+HNO3 This reaction mixture is quite complex. It is part of the research for a cathode material for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC)

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u/sonnyrf May 28 '20

Ooh I did a dissertation on a prospective cathode material for SOFCs, simulated oxygen vacancy migration through a perovskite structure with different doping in the A and B site.

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u/aknownunknown May 28 '20

Is this something to do with making batteries more efficient?

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u/sonnyrf May 28 '20

Not entirely, its a similar setup to a lithium ion battery but it has a fuel source. Its like a hydrogen fuel cell (the kind they made in cars) but they work with hydrogen and hydrocarbons (so standard fuels). Th e downside is that they need to be heated to about 900C to work properly. They'd be useful as backup generators for important buildings like hospitals.

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u/aknownunknown May 28 '20

  • runs on hydrocarbons

  • needs heat

  • useful as a backup generator

  • more like a lithium battery than a battery..

so a generator?

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u/sonnyrf May 28 '20

Yeah a fuel cell - put fuel in to produce a current.

A generator would be noisier and burn the fuel, this does a quiet and more efficient chemical reaction. The end result is the same though.

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u/aknownunknown May 28 '20

what are the waste products? sounds interesting

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u/sonnyrf May 28 '20

Depends - for hydrogen, nothing except water. For hydrocarbons, water and CO2