Electronically conductive ceramics for high temperature oxidizing environments

Claim 1

A fuel cell comprising a fuel electrode, and oxidant electrode, an electrolyte member disposed between the electrodes, said member containing alkali metal carbonate mixture including lithium carbonate, the oxidant electrode comprising the electronically-conductive lithium, transition-metal oxide selected from the group consising of Li 2 MnO 3 with magnesium dopant and LiFeO 2 with manganese dopant the oxide having electronic conductivity as measured by a resistivity below about 100 ohm-cm., high temperature stability in the presence of molten alkali metal carbonate including lithium carbonate at a temperature in the order of 500°-700° C., and a crystalline structure incorporating the lithium and transition metals and the dopant incorporated in the crystalline structure as a partial substituent for one of said metals.