Chromium-deficient Nd0.75Ca0.25Cr1-xO3-delta (0.02 <= x <= 0.06) oxides are synthesized and assessed as a novel ceramic interconnect for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). At room temperature, all the samples present single perovskite phase after sintering at 1600 degrees C for 10h in air. Cr-deficiency significantly improves the electrical conductivity of Nd0.75Ca0.25Cr1-xO3-delta oxides. No structural transformation occurs in the Nd0.75Ca0.25Cr1-xO3-delta oxides in the temperature range studied. Among all the samples, the Nd0.75Ca0.25Cr0.98O3-delta sample with a relative density of 96.3% exhibits the best electrical conductivity of 39.0 and 1.6 Scm(-1) at 850 degrees C in air and hydrogen, respectively. The thermal expansion coefficient of Nd0.75Ca0.25Cr0.98O3-delta sample is 9.29 x 10(-6) K-1 in the temperature range from 30 to 1000 degrees C in air, which is close to that of 8 mol% yttria stabilized zirconia electrolyte (10.3 x 10(-6) K-1) and other cell components. The results indicate that Nd0.75Ca0.25Cr0.98O3-delta is a potential interconnect material for SOFCs. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.