La_xSr_1-xCr oxide (Custom Composition)

Strontium-doped lanthanum chromate (La1-xSrxCrO3) is a workhorse ceramic interconnect perovskite for solid oxide fuel cells, engineered to conduct electrons efficiently while enduring simultaneous exposure to oxidizing air on one face and reducing fuel gas on the other. Infinita Materials manufactures this material to the customer’s exact strontium doping level, x, rather than offering only a single fixed composition, because the optimal ratio depends on the specific stack design, target operating temperature, and adjacent electrolyte and anode chemistries a customer is engineering around. Substituting strontium onto the lanthanum A-site tunes the perovskite’s electronic conductivity and thermal expansion behaviour across a continuous range, giving materials engineers a lever to match interconnect performance precisely to their cell architecture. Supplied as a fine, sinter-active powder, this custom-ratio capability supports everything from single-composition research samples to production-scale runs of a qualified interconnect formulation. Any La: Sr ratio within the practical solid-solution range can be produced to order, with particle size distribution and purity tailored to the customer’s forming and sintering process.

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Description

Introduction to Lanthanum Strontium Chromate Powder

Custom Lanthanum Strontium Chromate (LSC, La₁₋ₓSrₓCrO₃) is a perovskite oxide in which Sr²⁺ substitutes for La³⁺, promoting mixed Cr³⁺/Cr⁴⁺ valence states that provide p-type electronic conductivity through small-polaron hopping. Increasing Sr content generally enhances conductivity but also influences thermal expansion, phase stability, and chemical compatibility with zirconia-based electrolytes, making composition optimisation important for specific SOFC designs. LSC is particularly valued for its stability under dual oxidising and reducing atmospheres, enabling reliable operation across both cathode and anode environments. Supplied as fine, high-purity powder with controlled particle size, custom LSC compositions support calcination, milling, pressing, tape casting, and plasma spraying. Applications include dense SOFC interconnect plates, protective interconnect coatings, and other high-temperature electrochemical components requiring gas-tightness and thermal stability.

FAQs

Question: What is Lanthanum Strontium Chromate used for?

Answer: Lanthanum strontium chromate primarily serves as a cathode material in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and is also used in high-temperature electrochemical devices and advanced ceramics.

Question: Is Lanthanum Strontium Chromate compatible with other fuel cell materials?

Answer: Yes, Lanthanum Strontium Chromate is generally compatible with common fuel cell materials, particularly other cathode materials. It is often used with electrolyte materials like YSZ (yttria-stabilized zirconia) in SOFCs.

Question: What are the limitations of using Lanthanum Strontium Chromate in fuel cells?

Answer: Lanthanum Strontium Chromate is chemically unstable when exposed to certain reactive species in the fuel cell environment. Researchers are working to optimize its formulation to enhance its long-term durability.

Question: How does this material compare to the metallic interconnects used in most fuel cells today?

Answer: Metallic interconnects based on ferritic stainless steels (Crofer-type alloys) with spinel protective coatings have displaced ceramic chromates in most intermediate-temperature planar SOFC stacks because they are cheaper, easier to form, and more thermally conductive. Ceramic La1-xSrxCrO3 remains relevant where operating temperatures exceed the practical limits of metallic alloys, such as in some high-temperature tubular stack designs, and continues to be studied and specified for research and custom-composition programs.

Introduction to Lanthanum Strontium Chromate Powder

Property	Value	Significance
Electrical Conductivity (air)	~30-60 S/cm at 1000 degrees C, doping-dependent (p-type, small-polaron)	Sets the ohmic loss across the interconnect during current collection between adjacent cells in a stack; rises with Sr content up to the solubility limit
Electrical Conductivity (reducing/fuel side)	~2-15 S/cm at 1000 degrees C, low pO2	Demonstrates the dual-atmosphere conductivity retention required of an interconnect, though reduced relative to the air-side value
Thermal Expansion Coefficient	~10-11.5 x10^-6 /K (RT-1000 degrees C, doping-dependent)	Tuned via Sr content to match the adjacent YSZ electrolyte and Ni-cermet anode, minimising thermomechanical stress and cracking risk
Particle Size (D50)	0.5-5 um standard grades; submicron and nanopowder grades available	Finer particle size improves sinterability and helps achieve the near-full density needed for a gas-tight separator plate
Purity	99% – 99.9%, custom on request	Impurity segregation at grain boundaries can locally degrade conductivity and long-term chemical stability
Density	~6.5-6.8 g/cm3 theoretical; ~6.0-6.4 g/cm3 typical sintered	Determines the gas-tightness achievable in a fired interconnect plate separating fuel and air compartments
CAS Number	12017-94-6 (registered to parent LaCrO3; used generically for Sr-doped solid solutions)	Reference number for documentation and regulatory purposes; no distinct CAS exists for individual doping levels of this non-stoichiometric solid solution
Crystal Structure	Orthorhombic to rhombohedral perovskite (ABO3, distorted GdFeO3-type)	Octahedral tilting from the perovskite distortion governs Cr-O-Cr bond angles and the resulting electron-hopping conductivity

Property

Value

Significance

Electrical Conductivity (air)

~30-60 S/cm at 1000 degrees C, doping-dependent (p-type, small-polaron)

Sets the ohmic loss across the interconnect during current collection between adjacent cells in a stack; rises with Sr content up to the solubility limit

Electrical Conductivity (reducing/fuel side)

~2-15 S/cm at 1000 degrees C, low pO2

Demonstrates the dual-atmosphere conductivity retention required of an interconnect, though reduced relative to the air-side value

Thermal Expansion Coefficient

~10-11.5 x10^-6 /K (RT-1000 degrees C, doping-dependent)

Tuned via Sr content to match the adjacent YSZ electrolyte and Ni-cermet anode, minimising thermomechanical stress and cracking risk

Particle Size (D50)

0.5-5 um standard grades; submicron and nanopowder grades available

Finer particle size improves sinterability and helps achieve the near-full density needed for a gas-tight separator plate

Purity

99% – 99.9%, custom on request

Impurity segregation at grain boundaries can locally degrade conductivity and long-term chemical stability

Density

~6.5-6.8 g/cm3 theoretical; ~6.0-6.4 g/cm3 typical sintered

Determines the gas-tightness achievable in a fired interconnect plate separating fuel and air compartments

CAS Number

12017-94-6 (registered to parent LaCrO3; used generically for Sr-doped solid solutions)

Reference number for documentation and regulatory purposes; no distinct CAS exists for individual doping levels of this non-stoichiometric solid solution

Crystal Structure

Orthorhombic to rhombohedral perovskite (ABO3, distorted GdFeO3-type)

Octahedral tilting from the perovskite distortion governs Cr-O-Cr bond angles and the resulting electron-hopping conductivity

Grade / Form	Typical Purity	Key Features / Uses
La0.9Sr0.1CrO3 (LSC10)	99%	Lower strontium doping; more conservative thermal expansion match and lower risk of YSZ reactivity, at the cost of reduced conductivity
La0.8Sr0.2CrO3 (LSC20)	99% – 99.9%	The most widely studied and supplied composition; balances electronic conductivity, thermal expansion matching, and phase stability
La0.7Sr0.3CrO3 (LSC30)	99% – 99.9%	Higher Cr4+ fraction gives increased conductivity, used where current-collection efficiency is prioritised over maximum stability margin.
Custom x formulations (research and pilot-line ratios)	Custom	Any strontium fraction across the practical solid-solution range, produced to a customer-specified x for a particular stack design
Submicron/nanopowder grade (any x)	99% – 99.9%	Reduced particle size for enhanced sinterability, applicable across the full range of customer-specified Sr doping levels

Grade / Form

Typical Purity

Key Features / Uses

La0.9Sr0.1CrO3 (LSC10)

99%

Lower strontium doping; more conservative thermal expansion match and lower risk of YSZ reactivity, at the cost of reduced conductivity

La0.8Sr0.2CrO3 (LSC20)

99% – 99.9%

The most widely studied and supplied composition; balances electronic conductivity, thermal expansion matching, and phase stability

La0.7Sr0.3CrO3 (LSC30)

99% – 99.9%

Higher Cr4+ fraction gives increased conductivity, used where current-collection efficiency is prioritised over maximum stability margin.

Custom x formulations (research and pilot-line ratios)

Custom

Any strontium fraction across the practical solid-solution range, produced to a customer-specified x for a particular stack design

Submicron/nanopowder grade (any x)

99% – 99.9%

Reduced particle size for enhanced sinterability, applicable across the full range of customer-specified Sr doping levels

Industry	Application	Function
Fuel Cells / Clean Energy	Ceramic interconnect (separator plate) in tubular and planar SOFC stacks	Electrically connects adjacent cells in series while physically separating fuel gas from oxidant air
Fuel Cells / Clean Energy	Current-collecting interconnect coatings and contact layers in tubular SOFC designs.	Provides electronic pathway from the cell surface to the external circuit in high-temperature tubular architectures
Fuel Cells / Clean Energy	Custom-ratio formulations for proprietary stack designs	Lets a manufacturer tune conductivity and thermal expansion to a specific, non-standard cell and electrolyte combination
Materials Research	Benchmark system for dual-atmosphere ceramic conductor and defect-chemistry studies	Serves as a reference perovskite for studying Cr3+/Cr4+ small-polaron conduction and pO2-dependent behaviour
Materials Research	Thermal expansion and interfacial-reactivity studies with SOFC electrolytes and electrodes	Supports evaluation of Sr-content-dependent reactivity with zirconia-based electrolytes and matched-expansion stack designs
Electronics / Sensors	High-temperature stable resistive ceramic elements and gas-sensing electrodes	Retains stable electronic conductivity across variable oxygen partial pressure environments at elevated temperature

Industry

Application

Function

Fuel Cells / Clean Energy

Ceramic interconnect (separator plate) in tubular and planar SOFC stacks

Electrically connects adjacent cells in series while physically separating fuel gas from oxidant air

Fuel Cells / Clean Energy

Current-collecting interconnect coatings and contact layers in tubular SOFC designs.

Provides electronic pathway from the cell surface to the external circuit in high-temperature tubular architectures

Fuel Cells / Clean Energy

Custom-ratio formulations for proprietary stack designs

Lets a manufacturer tune conductivity and thermal expansion to a specific, non-standard cell and electrolyte combination