Stacking designs and sealing principles for IT-solid oxide fuel cell

Abstract The planar design of IT-solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) requires hermetic sealants in order to avoid mixing of gases/unwanted reactions and stability under reducing and oxidizing atmospheres during SOFC operation. This chapter addresses sealing requirements, their types, and the potential sealant materials to be used for IT-SOFCs. A large variety of seals such as compliant seals, compressive seals, and rigid seals have been proposed by various research groups in literature for functioning in SOFCs. Glass and glass ceramics have proved to be the most reliable and adequate for SOFC applications. The glass structure, its properties in light of thermal expansion behavior as well as formation of crystalline phases in them, has been discussed extensively.