Patent ID: 8163353

Claim:
A method of depositing a fuel electrode anode onto a solid oxide electrolyte surface comprising the steps: (1) providing a solid oxide electrolyte surface; (2) mixing elemental copper powder having a particle size of from 44 micrometers to 74 micrometers, with a solid oxide electrolyte powder capable of conducting oxygen ions at temperatures below 1000° C., to provide a mixture, which mixture is oxidized to oxidize the copper component to CuO to provide a spray feedstock having a volume ratio of from about 1-2 parts by volume CuO per 1 part by volume electrolyte, and (3) introducing the spray feedstock into a plasma jet of a plasma torch operating at a plume temperature between 2000° C. to 3000° C., to melt the spray feedstock and propel it onto the solid oxide electrolyte surface, where on contact with said surface droplets of the spray feedstock flatten into flattened lamellae, creating an anode coating having pore voids between the flattened lamellae upon solidification, and providing an anode coating having the approximate chemical composition Cu—(Sc 2 O 3 ) 0.1 (CeO 2 ) 0.01 (ZrO 2 ) 0.89 , with greater than 35 vol. % Cu based on solids volume, as well as over 35 vol. % interconnected porosity and continuous electrically conducting Cu contact, and where the anode coating formed by plasma jet spraying is from 20 micrometers to 200 micrometers thick.