Effect of Laser-derived Surface Re-melting of YSZ Electrolyte on Performance of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

A simple and effective technique to reduce the overall fuel cell polarization resistance was introduced on a conventionally sintered YSZ electrolyte by creating a hybrid microstructure using low-intensity CO2 laser scanning methods. After laser modification of the YSZ electrolyte surface on the cathode side, the overall polarization resistance was reduced from 513 to 124 Ω cm2, and the maximum power density was increased by 28% from 1.86 to 2.38 mW/cm2 at 450 °C. This improvement was due to the enhanced surface kinetics by higher grain boundary density on the YSZ surface from recrystallization after laser scanning.