Manganese Cobalt Oxide

Manganese Cobalt Oxide (Mn1.5Co1.5O4, MCO) spinel powder is the industry-standard protective coating material for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) metallic interconnects and bipolar plates. Applied as a thin slurry-coated, screen-printed, or plasma-sprayed layer onto ferritic stainless steels such as Crofer 22 APU, this dense electronically-conductive spinel suppresses chromium volatilization from the underlying steel, protecting the cathode from the performance-robbing degradation known as ‘Cr poisoning.’ Its 1:1 Mn: Co spinel chemistry is engineered to closely match the thermal expansion of the steel and adjacent zirconia electrolyte, keeping the coating intact through thousands of hours of thermal cycling. Supplied as a fine, sinterable powder with tightly controlled particle size and purity, MCO is a proven enabler of long-life SOFC and SOEC stacks. Custom stoichiometries, particle sizes, and purities support both R&D and production-scale interconnect coating programs.

Surface Area (m²/g) :	3-5
Particle size d₅₀ (μm) :	<1
Purity (%) :	>=99.9

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Description

Introduction to Manganese Cobalt Oxide (Mn1.5Co1.5O4) Powder

Manganese Cobalt Oxide (Mn₁.₅Co₁.₅O₄) is a cubic spinel oxide (Fd-3m) in the (Mn, Co)₃O₄ family, with mixed Mn²⁺/Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺ and Co²⁺/Co³⁺ valence states that support p-type electronic conduction at SOFC operating temperatures. Its composition provides relatively isotropic thermal expansion and stable electrical properties, making it well suited for protective interconnect coatings. Supplied as fine, high-purity powder, Mn₁.₅Co₁.₅O₄ can be formulated for slurry coating, screen printing, electrophoretic deposition, or atmospheric plasma spraying, followed by sintering to form a dense adherent layer. Typically applied at 10–30 µm thickness, the coating acts as a chromium-diffusion barrier on ferritic stainless-steel interconnects, reducing volatile chromium species and cathode poisoning. Controlled particle size and composition promote uniform densification, adhesion, and thermal-cycle stability.

FAQs

Question: What is Manganese Cobalt Oxide used for?

Answer: Manganese Cobalt Oxide has applications like solid oxide fuel cells, which are used as a protective coat over the interconnects, and various other electrochemistry applications, including batteries and catalysts.

Question: What are the main advantages of using Manganese Cobalt Oxide in fuel cells?

Answer: Mn₁.₅Co₁.₅ Oxide offers high ionic and electronic conductivity, excellent catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR), and thermal stability, making it suitable for high-temperature fuel cell applications.

Question: How does Manganese Cobalt Oxide function in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs)?

Answer: In SOFCs, Mn₁.₅Co₁.₅ Oxide acts as a cathode material, enhancing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode, improving fuel cell efficiency and performance.

Question: How is the powder applied onto interconnect steel?

Answer: It is most commonly formulated into a slurry and applied by dip coating or screen printing, though electrophoretic deposition and atmospheric plasma spraying are also used; the green coating is then sintered in air to produce a dense, adherent, Cr-impermeable layer.

Introduction to Manganese Cobalt Oxide (Mn1.5Co1.5O4) Powder

Property	Value	Significance
Molar mass	234.80 g/mol	Used to convert powder mass to molar quantities when formulating coating slurries, inks, and suspensions
CAS number	Not established	This specific mixed-cation spinel stoichiometry is not individually CAS-registered; distinct from the unrelated lithium-battery CAS 346417-97-8 (Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide) sometimes miscited for this material.
Density	2.4 g/cm3 apparent/bulk (powder); ~5.2-5.5 g/cm3 theoretical (crystallographic)	Bulk density guides slurry solids loading; theoretical density sets the target for a fully densified, Cr-impermeable sintered coating.
Particle size (D50)	< 1 um (typ. 0.1-0.9 um), standard coating grade	Sub-micron particles sinter into dense, thin, continuous films that provide an effective chromium diffusion barrier
Purity	99% – 99.9%+ (2N-4N standard, up to 5N on request)	High purity limits secondary-phase formation and impurity segregation at the coating/steel and coating/cathode interfaces
Electrical conductivity	~20-80 S/cm at 800C (dense sintered coating)	High electronic conductivity minimises interconnect area-specific resistance (ASR) contributed by the protective layer
Thermal expansion coefficient (CTE)	~11-12.5 x10^-6 /K (25-800C)	Closely matches Crofer 22 APU ferritic steel and the YSZ electrolyte/glass-ceramic seals, minimising spallation risk during thermal cycling.
Crystal structure	Cubic spinel, space group Fd-3m	Cubic symmetry at this Mn: Co ratio gives isotropic thermal expansion and stable conductivity versus the tetragonally distorted phase at higher Mn content

Property

Value

Significance

Molar mass

234.80 g/mol

Used to convert powder mass to molar quantities when formulating coating slurries, inks, and suspensions

CAS number

Not established

This specific mixed-cation spinel stoichiometry is not individually CAS-registered; distinct from the unrelated lithium-battery CAS 346417-97-8 (Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide) sometimes miscited for this material.

Density

2.4 g/cm3 apparent/bulk (powder); ~5.2-5.5 g/cm3 theoretical (crystallographic)

Bulk density guides slurry solids loading; theoretical density sets the target for a fully densified, Cr-impermeable sintered coating.

Particle size (D50)

< 1 um (typ. 0.1-0.9 um), standard coating grade

Sub-micron particles sinter into dense, thin, continuous films that provide an effective chromium diffusion barrier

Purity

99% – 99.9%+ (2N-4N standard, up to 5N on request)

High purity limits secondary-phase formation and impurity segregation at the coating/steel and coating/cathode interfaces

Electrical conductivity

~20-80 S/cm at 800C (dense sintered coating)

High electronic conductivity minimises interconnect area-specific resistance (ASR) contributed by the protective layer

Thermal expansion coefficient (CTE)

~11-12.5 x10^-6 /K (25-800C)

Closely matches Crofer 22 APU ferritic steel and the YSZ electrolyte/glass-ceramic seals, minimising spallation risk during thermal cycling.

Crystal structure

Cubic spinel, space group Fd-3m

Cubic symmetry at this Mn: Co ratio gives isotropic thermal expansion and stable conductivity versus the tetragonally distorted phase at higher Mn content

Grade / Form	Typical Purity	Key Features / Uses
Standard Coating-Grade Powder	99% – 99.9%	Sub-micron D50 (<1 um), 3-5 m2/g surface area; optimized for slurry/dip coating and screen printing onto interconnect steel
High-Purity Research Grade	99.9% – 99.99% (4N)	Tighter size distribution (0.1-0.5 um) and higher surface area (10-14 m2/g); used for fundamental conductivity/TEC studies and sputtering targets
Thermal-Spray (APS) Feedstock Grade	99% – 99.5%	Coarser, spheroidized, free-flowing granules (-45 +15 um) engineered for atmospheric plasma spray deposition
Ultra-High Purity Grade	99.999% (5N)	Minimises trace-impurity-driven conductivity loss and Cr-scale interaction; used in high-reliability stack demonstrations
Custom Mn: Co / Doped Compositions	99% – 99.9%	Tailored Mn: Co ratio or dopants (Cu, Fe, La, Y) for applications trading off conductivity, TEC, and sinterability.

Grade / Form

Typical Purity

Key Features / Uses

Standard Coating-Grade Powder

99% – 99.9%

Sub-micron D50 (<1 um), 3-5 m2/g surface area; optimized for slurry/dip coating and screen printing onto interconnect steel

High-Purity Research Grade

99.9% – 99.99% (4N)

Tighter size distribution (0.1-0.5 um) and higher surface area (10-14 m2/g); used for fundamental conductivity/TEC studies and sputtering targets

Thermal-Spray (APS) Feedstock Grade

99% – 99.5%

Coarser, spheroidized, free-flowing granules (-45 +15 um) engineered for atmospheric plasma spray deposition

Ultra-High Purity Grade

99.999% (5N)

Minimises trace-impurity-driven conductivity loss and Cr-scale interaction; used in high-reliability stack demonstrations

Custom Mn: Co / Doped Compositions

99% – 99.9%

Tailored Mn: Co ratio or dopants (Cu, Fe, La, Y) for applications trading off conductivity, TEC, and sinterability.

Industry	Application	Function
Automotive & Stationary Fuel Cells	SOFC metallic interconnect / bipolar plate protective coating	Suppresses Cr2O3 scale volatilisation and blocks Cr migration to the cathode, mitigating ‘Cr poisoning’
Automotive & Stationary Fuel Cells	Interconnect-to-cathode contact layer	Provides a low-resistance, electronically conductive contact between the coated interconnect and cathode current collector
Hydrogen Energy	Solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) stack interconnects	Delivers the same Cr-barrier and TEC-matching function under electrolysis operating conditions and thermal cycling
Automotive / Aerospace Auxiliary Power	SOFC-based auxiliary power unit (APU) interconnect coating	Extends stack lifetime under the vibration and thermal-cycling duty cycles typical of vehicular and airborne APUs
Ceramics & Glass	Colourant and pigment precursor	Mixed Mn/Co valence imparts stable black-brown colouration in glazes, glass, and enamels.
Sensors & Catalysis	High-temperature gas sensor electrodes and oxidation catalysts	Leverages mixed-valence Mn/Co redox activity and thermal stability for catalytic and sensing applications

Industry

Application

Function

Automotive & Stationary Fuel Cells

SOFC metallic interconnect / bipolar plate protective coating

Suppresses Cr2O3 scale volatilisation and blocks Cr migration to the cathode, mitigating ‘Cr poisoning’

Automotive & Stationary Fuel Cells

Interconnect-to-cathode contact layer

Provides a low-resistance, electronically conductive contact between the coated interconnect and cathode current collector

Hydrogen Energy

Solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) stack interconnects

Delivers the same Cr-barrier and TEC-matching function under electrolysis operating conditions and thermal cycling