The highly phase-pure electrolyte materials with compositionLa1.9Ba0.1MO1.9Mn0.1O9（LBMMO） was prepared by the sol-gel auto-combustion method for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells （IT-SOFCs）. The details ofgel＇s auto-combustion, phase evolution, sintering, thermal expansion and electrochemical performance of LBMMO were investigated by means of thermo-gravimetry （TG）, X-ray diffxaction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron spectroscopy （TEM）, thermal expansion curve （TEC） and complex impedance spectra. The results showed that the highly phase-pure electrolyte LBMMO could be obtained after calcining at 600 ℃. The sample sintered at 900 ℃ for 4 h in air exhibited a better sinterability, and the relative density of LBMMO was higher than 96%. The electrical conductivities of the sample were 6.7x 10-3 and 25.9× 10-3 S/cm at 700 and 800 ℃ in air, respectively. Results also showed that LBMMO had moderate thermal expansion （a=16.3×10-6 K-l, between room temperature and 800 ℃） and an electrical activation energy equal to 1.32 eV）.
In this study, ultrafine Ce0.8La0.2–x Y x O1.9（for x=0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20） powders were successfully prepared by the sol-gel method.The samples were characterized by fourier transform infrared（FTIR）, thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry（TG-DSC）, X-ray diffraction（XRD）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, AC impedance and thermal expansion measurements.Experimental results indicated that highly phase-pure cubic fluorite electrolyte Ce0.8La0.2–x Y x O1.9 powders were obtained after calcining at 600 °C.The as-synthesized powders exhibited high sintering activity, the Ce0.8La0.2–x Y x O1.9 series electrolytes which have higher relative densities over 96% could be obtained after sintered at 1400 °C for 4 h.Ce0.8La0.15Y0.05O1.9 electrolyte sintered at 1400 °C for 4 h exhibited higher oxide ionic conductivity（σ800 oC=0.057 S/cm）, lower electrical activation energy（E a=0.87 e V） and moderate thermal expansion coefficient（TEC=15.5×10-6 K-1, temperature range 25–800 °C）.
