Abstract
Lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM) and chromite (LSC) are good candidates for cathode and interconnect application in SOFC, respectively. This paper reports the synthesis of LSM and LSC powders from nitrate precursors by the combustion method, using two different fuels (urea and glycine). The ignition of the reagent mixture with urea takes a longer time and the maximum temperature is higher than using glycine. However, the adiabatic flame temperatures using urea are lower. X-ray diffraction patterns showed formation of only perovskite phase for the samples synthesized with urea, whereas secondary phases were also found for the samples prepared from glycine. The crystallite size calculated using the Scherrer equation is in the range of 23-31 nm. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the weight loss is much higher for manganites, with complete burn out of organics at 850-900oC. Scanning electron microscopy showed the presence of agglomerates, formed by fine particles of different shapes.