Thermal radiation is likely to play an important role in the calculation of the energy balance in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), due to their high operating temperatures (600 degrees-1000 degrees C). However, the majority of previous studies dealing with this issue have used room-temperature radiative data for determining the overall heat transfer process within a given cell, which could lead to an inexact appreciation of the role played by the thermal radiation. Consequently, the thermal field within the cell could also be incorrectly determined; however, accurate knowledge of the thermal field is important in order to understand the mechanical behavior of SOFCs. Several parameters, including chemical composition, texture, thickness, and of course operating temperature, have a large effect on the radiative properties of a given compound. As a first step to elucidate the temperature-dependent behavior of SOFCs, we deposited an La2NiO4+delta cathodic layer on a planar ZrO2-8% Y2O3 electrolyte-supported SOFC and investigated its radiative properties using high-temperature infrared emissivity spectroscopy (100 degrees-900 degrees C). Additional X-ray diffraction, thermo-gravimetric analysis, and environmental scanning electron microscopy measurements were also made to study the role played by both the chemical composition and texture on the radiative properties of the cell.