Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc. announced today that it has received a patent covering its process for manufacturing nano-sized yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ). Altair's YSZ is the ideal material for use in manufacturing solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) as the company's patented process allows particle size to be selected. Additionally, the cost per kilowatt hour is an important consideration for the continued success of fuel cell programs. Altair's process uses low-cost, readily available zirconia and yttria commodity feedstocks. The process is flexible and, in addition to yttrium, the zirconia can be stabilized with calcium, scandium or magnesium.
According to Altair's CEO, Dr. William P. Long, the company's proprietary nano-sized YSZ is a major component in the company's solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) program. In this program, Altair uses its unique YSZ for construction of both the dense electrolyte and the base structure for the porous anode layer. SOFC applications have been attracting worldwide attention due to their high-energy conversion efficiency and their improved performance with regards to pollution and use of natural resources. Catalyst development at MIT demonstrated that Altair's SOFC can potentially utilize a wide variety of hydrocarbon fuels, methane, ethane, butane, and ethanol while operating almost pollution free. The fuel cell market for SOFC applications, which includes on-site power systems, transportation applications and utility companies, is estimated to be $360 million by 2005.
SOFC development is challenging due to a lack of high quality durable ceramic materials. The electrolyte component of an SOFC, which conducts oxygen anions from the cathode to the anode of the fuel cell, must be dense, very thin and free of pores. Any microscopic openings will allow leakage of fuel in the anode compartment or air from the cathode compartment to intermingle lowering cell efficiency or completely halting cell function.
``We have successfully demonstrated that our nanomaterials will solve the classic ''materials mismatch`` problem experienced by other fuel cell manufacturers as we can monolithically manufacture the anode, cathode and electrolyte structure using our proprietary nano-particle manufacturing approach,'' said Altair's Director of Research and Engineering, Dr. Bruce J. Sabacky. ``Work continues in the development of our SOFC for stationary, always on, electrical power. Based on fundamental advantages discovered in Altair's nano-sized YSZ, our R&D group was successful in building a small-scale working model SOFC for demonstrational purposes in about two and one half years. The goal of the company is not to manufacture fuel cells, but prototypes that showcase the company's commercial nanomaterials. The company is selling small research quantities of materials including nano-sized yttria stabilized zirconia and nanoparticle slurries that can be used to manufacture fuel cells using tape-casting technology.''
What is Stabilized Zirconia
Zirconia is a white powder used in making, among other things, furnace linings and pigments. When stabilized with yttrium, the zirconia is extremely strong and becomes a good oxygen ion conducting material that is able to sustain temperatures up to 2,000 degrees centigrade -- the perfect material for solid oxide fuel cell cores and the thermal spray industry.
