Modification of microstructure and electrical conductivity of plasma-sprayed YSZ deposit through post-densification process

4.5 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coating was deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) as an electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) applications. The post treatment was employed using zirconium and yttrium nitrate solution infiltration to densify the coating microstructure for improvement of gas permeability. The deposition of YSZ through nitrate in voids of the coating was examined. Microstructure of the as-sprayed and densified coatings was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effect of infiltrating treatment on coating microstructure and electrical conductivity was examined. The electrical conductivity of APS-sprayed YSZ coating at the direction perpendicular to coating surface was much lower than that of bulk materials. Post-densification treatment improved the electrical conductivity of YSZ coating by about 25% compared with as-sprayed coating. It was found that the deposition of YSZ resulting from decomposition of nitrate in the lamellar interface gaps was different from that in vertical cracks in lamella owing to the orthogonal feature of those two types of gaps. The nanopores were formed in the deposited YSZ in nonbonded interface gaps while large pores were residued in vertical cracks in splats. The microstructural examination suggests that nanopores in the deposited YSZ in nonbonded interfaces in the coating were isolated from each other, which led to the significant reduction of gas permeability after densification. Moreover, the nanocontacts between lamellae resulted in high contact resistance and limit improvement of electrical conductivity of the coating after densification.