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Isothermal ageing and thermal cycling were performed on micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) in-order to glean an understanding into their contribution to failure and stress accumulation in micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells. The isothermal experiment was performed at 800 deg C on two micro-tubular SOFC samples (1) 25 mm long, (2) 55 mm long. 25 mm long samples presented a higher power density than 55 mm long cells and their rate of degradation was slower compared to 55 mm long cells. 135 thermal cycles were performed between 200 deg C and 800 deg C and no significant degradation in performance was observed. The degradation observed was somewhat similar to degradation due to isothermal ageing suggesting that both isothermal ageing and thermal cycling were plagued by similar degradation mechanisms. Post-mortem analyses of the micro-tubular SOFC after 135 cycles showed no significant degradation in the membrane-Electrode- Assembly (MEA); however the silver interconnecting structure for current collection melted due to stress induction and fatigue. Dilatometry was used to characterize the change in length of the sample over several thermal cycles. Plastic deformation was found to occur after each thermal cycle as the sample did not rescind back to its original length. Changing the duration for holding the sample at 200 deg C and 800 deg C was found to have a marginal effect on the displacement of the sample. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was also used to show the changes in microstructure before and after thermal cycling.