Effects of SO2 in ambient air on the performance and durability of solid oxide fuel cell（SOFC） cathode were evaluated by galvanostatic measurement. Comparison between two cathode materials was made to consider the cathode degradation mechanisms. The degradation performance is associated with a slow decomposition of the La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3（LSCF） due to the segregation of strontium oxide. Negligible deterioration for （La0.7Sr0.3）MnO3 （LSM） cathode was caused by SO2 poisoning under a current density of 200 mA/cm2. Metal sulphate formation may explain a slight deterioration under increasing high the concentration of SO2. It was verified that the poisoning mechanism for the two cathode materials resulted from the gradual decomposition of the cathode materials.
