Of particular interest is developing diagnostics for the various transport and material properties for fuel-cell components. Such techniques allow for better understanding and providing phenomenological and parameters for the modeling activities. Recent developments and capabilities include:
- Capillary pressure – saturation curves for fuel-cell diffusion media and catalyst layers
- Effective gas-phase diffusivities of diffusion media as a function of saturation
- Droplet adhesion force measurements of fuel-cell gas-diffusion layers
- Thermal conductivity
- Freeze kinetics in fuel-cell materials
- Water uptake in fuel-cell membranes and catalyst-layer ionomer
- X-ray analysis of membrane and ionomer, including
a. Grazing-incidence small-angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) for ionomer thin films
b. Small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) for membrane structure
c. Wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS) for membrane crystallinity
- Computed x-ray tomography for membrane water content and liquid-water in gas-diffusion layers
- Conducting atomic force microscopy
- Material mechanical properties
- Traditional analytical techniques including electron microscopy, elemental analysis, etc.
For more information, contact Adam Weber.