Instrumentation for High Temperature Materials Characterization in Electrochemical Applications
Abstract
This proposal requests support to purchase instrumentation necessary for studying high temperaturesurface chemistry and its consequences using vibrational Raman spectroscopy and complementary IRemission spectroscopy. The instruments themselves will enhance our lab~s ability to acquire vibrationalspectra from materials used in energy conversion applications at temperatures as high as 1500~C undercontrolled atmospheres. This acquisition will directly support DOD funded research (ONR contractnumber N000141410326; ~In Situ Optical Studies of High Temperature Solid Oxide ElectrochemicalCells~; Dr. Michele Anderson, program officer) studying high temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)chemistry. Students working on this project will benefit directly from the new instrumentation becausethey will be able to observe directly the changes that occur in the materials they process and use tofabricate SOFC electrodes and electrolytes.The requested instruments include:1. High temperature sampling stages ~ These assemblies will enable experiments to be performed attemperatures of up to 1500~ in air and up to 1000~C in reducing environments. All three stageswill have ports for electrical feedthroughs meaning we will also be able to perform singlechamber electrochemical experiments. Such capabilities will extend our current temperaturewindow by 600~C and provide opportunities to monitor material changes in electrochemicallyactive materials as they are prepared during fabrication processes.2. FTIR with near infrared detection ~ This instrument will serve two purposes. First, it will beused to perform IR emission experiments that measure infrared active surface species andmolecular gas phase species above the sample in a manner developed by Owrutsky andcoworkers. Data from these measurements will complement findings from Raman experiments.Experiments will be performed using the high temperature sampling stage (item 1) as well asexisting optically accessible solid oxide fuel cell test rigs.3. 785 nm diode laser ~ This diode laser will be used as an alternative to the 488 nm argon ion laserused in current Raman measurements. 785 nm excitation will avoid many of the challengesarising from fluorescence that results from 488 nm irradiation and the longer wavelength laserwill also allow experiments to probe greater sampling depths in highly scattering materials. Bothattributes ~ less fluorescence and deeper sampling ~ are important when probing materialscontaining rare earth ions and composite, granular materials.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 03, 2017
- Source ID
- N000141712315
Entities
People
- Robert A Walker
Organizations
- Montana State University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy