Comparison of SOFC cathode microstructure quantified using X-ray nanotomography and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy

X-ray nanotomography and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) have been applied to investigate the complex 3D microstructure of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrodes at spatial resolutions of 45 nm and below. The application of near edge differential absorption for x-ray nanotomography and energy selected backscatter detection for FIB-SEM enable elemental mapping within the microstructure. Using these methods, non-destructive 3D x-ray imaging and FIB-SEM serial sectioning have been applied to compare three-dimensional elemental mapping of the LSM, YSZ, and pore phases in the SOFC cathode microstructure. The microstructural characterization of an SOFC cathode is reported based on these measurements. The results presented demonstrate the viability of x-ray nanotomography as a quantitative characterization technique and provide key insights into the SOFC cathode microstructure.

[1]  J. Van herle,et al.  Nickel–Zirconia Anode Degradation and Triple Phase Boundary Quantification from Microstructural Analysis , 2009 .

[2]  J Y Wang,et al.  A new iterative algorithm to reconstruct the refractive index , 2007, Physics in medicine and biology.

[3]  Marco Cannarozzo,et al.  Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of Degradation Mechanisms by Particle Coarsening in SOFC Electrodes , 2009 .

[4]  Nigel P. Brandon,et al.  Characterization of the 3-dimensional microstructure of a graphite negative electrode from a Li-ion battery , 2010 .

[5]  G. G. Stokes.  "J." , 1890, The New Yale Book of Quotations.

[6]  Q. Shen,et al.  Hard x-ray microscopy with Fresnel zone plates reaches 40 nm Rayleigh resolution. , 2008 .

[7]  Andrew G. Glen,et al.  APPL , 2001 .

[8]  Qun Shen,et al.  Full-field hard x-ray microscopy below 30 nm: a challenging nanofabrication achievement , 2008, Nanotechnology.

[9]  Marcio Gameiro,et al.  Quantitative three-dimensional microstructure of a solid oxide fuel cell cathode , 2009 .

[10]  Wilson K. S. Chiu,et al.  Characterization and analysis methods for the examination of the heterogeneous solid oxide fuel cell electrode microstructure. Part 1: Volumetric measurements of the heterogeneous structure , 2010 .

[11]  Jon M. Hiller,et al.  Three-dimensional reconstruction of a solid-oxide fuel-cell anode , 2006, Nature materials.

[12]  Kenneth Reifsnider,et al.  Multi-scale modeling approaches for functional nano-composite materials , 2006 .

[13]  Wilson K. S. Chiu,et al.  Characterization and analysis methods for the examination of the heterogeneous solid oxide fuel cell electrode microstructure: Part 2. Quantitative measurement of the microstructure and contributions to transport losses , 2010 .

[14]  Wilson K. S. Chiu,et al.  Nondestructive Reconstruction and Analysis of SOFC Anodes Using X-ray Computed Tomography at Sub-50 nm Resolution , 2008 .

[15]  Francesco De Carlo,et al.  Nondestructive Nanoscale 3D Elemental Mapping and Analysis of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anode , 2010 .