Abstract
Mechanical, electrical and micro-structural properties of new electronic conducting ceramic foams are reported. Ceramic foams are prepared using the slurry of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3 (LSCF) by the polymeric sponge method, which is followed by spray coating for increasing the number of coatings-sinterings on polyurethane foams of 30, 45 and 60 ppi (pores per linear inch). An increase in the number of coatings-sinterings and ppi improved the compressive strength, density and electrical conductivity by decreasing the porosity to similar to 76%, as also observed by the SEM study. The three-times coated-sintered ceramic foams (60 ppi) exhibited optimum values of compressive strength of similar to 1.79MPa and relative density of similar to 0.24 at 25 degrees C and electrical conductivity of similar to 22 S cm(-1) at 600 degrees C with an activation energy of similar to 0.22 eV indicating its suitability as a solid oxide fuel cell current collector. The experimental results are discussed in terms of the Gibson and Ashby theoretical model.