Fabrication of highly porous yttria-stabilized zirconia by acid leaching nickel from a nickel-yttria-stabilized zirconia cermet

Porous Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) samples were synthesized by preparing NiO/YSZ composites by tape casting and calcining at 1800 K, reducing the NiO to nickel in H2 at 973 K, and finally leaching the nickel out of the structure with 2.2M HNO3 at 353 K. Porous YSZ was prepared from NiO/YSZ composites containing 0, 20, 40, and 50 wt% NiO. Complete removal of the nickel was demonstrated by XRD, weight changes, and porosity increases. Porosities >75% could be achieved without structural collapse of the YSZ phase. Finally, the method was applied to the fabrication of a solid oxide fuel cell with a copper-based anode operating on H2 and n-butane.