Impact of sintering procedures on the densification and conductivity of BaZr$_{0.4}$Ce$_{0.4}$Y$_{0.1}$Yb$_{0.1}$O$_{3-δ}$ electrolyte for protonic ceramic fuel cells

BaZr$_{0.4}$Ce$_{0.4}$Y$_{0.1}$Yb$_{0.1}$O$_{2.9}$ (BZCYYb4411), a promising proton-conducting electrolyte, requires high sintering temperatures, typically 1600 degrees C, to be densified to acceptable relative densities, greater than 90 %. This study explores three sintering strategies to reduce th