Electrochemical response of Sr(Ce0.9Zr0.1)0.95Yb0.05O3-δ high-temperature hydrogen sensor

Abstract

Measuring tritium in fusion reactors like EU-DEMO is crucial for the functioning of the reactor and the helium-cooled lithium-lead (HCLL) breeding blanket breeding blanket. Electrochemical sensors can be a great option for the measurement of hydrogen and its isotopes since they have several advantages over other analytical methods, such as sensitivity, robustness, ease of operation, short-time measurement, portability, and on-site and real-time measurement. One of the main difficulties for hydrogen detection is to select materials that can withstand high temperatures and harsh conditions. In this situation, perovskite-type ceramics, such as Sr(Ce0.9Zr0.1)0.95Yb0.05O3-δ, show proton conductivity and remarkable stability under low-oxygen atmospheres and high temperatures. These characteristics make perovskite materials ideal candidates for the creation of high-temperature hydrogen sensors. In the present work, the proton-conducting perovskite Sr(Ce0.9Zr0.1)0.95Yb0.05O3-δ was synthesized by the glycine method (SCZY-gly). Then, disks of Ø13 mm were obtained by uniaxial pressure, followed by a sintering process at 1300 – 12 h The powder and the pellets were characterized using XRD and SEM analysis. The proton conductivity of the sintered elements was calculated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Finally, amperometric measurements were performed at 500 °C and 600 °C using different hydrogen concentrations.