  La0.6Sr0.4Fe0.8Mn0.2O3 (LSFM) compound is synthesized by Sol-gel method and
evaluated as a cathode material for the intermediate temperature solid oxide
fuel cell (IT-SOFC). X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicates that the LSFM has a
Rhombohedral structure with R-3c space group symmetry. The XRD patterns reveal
very small amount of impurity phase in the LSFM and Y2O3-Stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ)
mixture powders sintered at 600, 700 and 800 C for a week. The maximum
electrical conductivity of LSFM is about 35.35 S.cm-1 at 783 C in the air. The
oxygen chemical diffusion coefficients, DChem, are increased from 1.39*10-6 up
to 7.66*10-6 .cm2. Besides, the oxygen surface exchange coefficients, kChem,
are obtained to lie between 2.9*10-3 and 8.7*10-3 cm.s-1 in a temperature range
of 600-800 C. The area-specific resistances (ASRs) of the LSFM symmetrical cell
are 7.53, 1.53, 1.13, 0.46 and 0.31 .cm2 at 600, 650, 700, 750 and 800 C
respectively, and related activation energy, Ea, is about 1.23 eV.
