Achievement

Materials engineering student Micah Casteel utilized the hybrid materials design process to create a novel composite metallic interconnect material for use in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Combined with a comprehensive screening process, this material demonstrated the possibility of developing a material with individually tunable properties to address shortfalls of current materials. Due to the emphasis on manufacturability and low cost commercially available materials, this new hybrid material was able to be manufactured using existing high volume manufacturing techniques rather than expensive lab-based processes. The screening method developed allows the operator to investigate materials properties both individually and on concert, which will, in turn, enable rapid iteration on future monolithic and hybrid materials further increasing the development of SOFCs.