Alfred University recently announced that two researchers in its Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering will be collaborating on a Department of Energy project to improve the efficiency and durability of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Scott Misture and Doreen Edwards, professors of materials science at the Inamori School of Engineering, will be working with colleagues from the University of Connecticut and the University of California-San Diego on the project, which will look at how and why lanthanum manganite-based cathodes degrade when exposed to “real-world” atmospheric operating conditions. Through experimentation and computational simulation, the researchers hope to develop more durable cathode materials, which will extend the operating life of the SOFC.

“Our expertise in ceramic materials, plus the unique array of  equipment we have in our High-Temperature Materials Characterization to measure properties and performance of materials at high temperatures, make Alfred University researchers an integral part of the this research initiative,” said Edwards, who is also the dean of the School of Engineering.

 The work is funded by a $499,372 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, plus $124,843 from the research partners. The work is expected to be completed in 24 months.

For additional information, visit www.alfred.edu.