Poisoning effects of chlorine on a solid oxide cell operated in co-electrolysis

Although the effects of impurities on the Ni-YSZ electrode of a solid oxide cell in fuel cell operation have been studied, reports on their effects during electrolysis operation are limited. Here, short-term experiments at various current densities and a durability test (1400 h) are performed to investigate the effects of HCl on the Ni-YSZ electrode of a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) operated in co-electrolysis mode. Without current bias, exposure to 10 ppmv of HCl was tolerated whereas significant degradation was observed when the SOEC was exposed to 5 ppmv of HCl under polarization, mostly related to an increase of the resistance associated with the charge-transfer processes. Prolonged exposure to HCl revealed an initial steady degradation before an increase by a factor of >10 caused by polarization resistance increases, thereby emphasizing the importance of prolonged poisoning tests. Stopping the HCl supply and operating the SOEC in an HCl-free atmosphere allowed for voltage stabilization but no performance recovery was observed. An increased serial resistance indicates that the desorption of Cl can also be detrimental. A low-frequency pseudo-inductive hook appeared in the electrochemical impedance spectra, possibly related to the increase of the charge-transfer processes' resistance and indicating modification to the electrochemical pathways.