Premium
Long‐term microstructural changes in solid oxide fuel cell anodes: 3D reconstruction
Author(s) -
Parikh Harshil,
Hilli Naima,
De Guire Mark R.,
Heuer Arthur H.,
Liu Zhien,
Goettler Richard
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/jace.14659
Subject(s) - solid oxide fuel cell , materials science , anode , porosity , volume fraction , tortuosity , oxide , scanning electron microscope , microstructure , electrolyte , focused ion beam , yttria stabilized zirconia , volume (thermodynamics) , composite material , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemical engineering , metallurgy , ion , ceramic , cubic zirconia , electrode , chemistry , chromatography , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , engineering
Microstructural changes in solid oxide fuel cell anodes after long‐term operation have been characterized by sequential sectioning with a focused ion beam, followed by scanning electron microscopy imaging and three‐dimensional reconstruction. The anodes were porous composites of Ni and Y 2 O 3 ‐stabilized ZrO 2 ( YSZ ). The cells were operated at 800°C for 2, 4, and 8 kh, and at 925°C for 2 and 4 kh. For each specimen, the volume fraction, surface area, particle diameter, and tortuosity have been calculated for each phase (Ni, YSZ , and pores). The dependence of these microstructural parameters on the volume of sample analyzed was monitored; sufficiently large volumes were analyzed so as to eliminate any effect of sample volume. Gradients in volume fraction of Ni and porosity developed during fuel cell operation, with Ni fraction increasing, and pore fraction decreasing, at the electrolyte/anode interface. The magnitudes of these gradients increased with time.