Abstract
Proton conducting BaZr 0.9-x Ce x Y 0.1 O 3-δ electrolytes have been intensively investigated in the past years. The zirconium rich stoichiometry of this perovskite type material shows good chemical stability coupled with high proton conductivity. However, this material remains highly refractory. Therefore, high sintering temperatures (1800 °C) are required to fully densify the electrolyte layer. This study focuses on using different sintering strategies, such as cold-sintering and sintering aids, during the fabrication of the electrolyte to decrease the sintering temperature. After various densification protocols, the electrical conductivity of the zirconate (BaZr 0.7 Ce 0.2 Y 0.1 O 3-δ) electrolytes are compared to study the influence of the densification process on the bulk, grain boundary and total conductivity of the electrolyte layer.