LA-ICP-MS and EDS characterization of electrode/electrolyte interfaces in IT-SOFC materials

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Vol. 111; no. 3; pp. 887 - 896
• Main Authors: Dotelli, G., Pelosato, R., Zampori, L., Natali Sora, I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.06.2013; Springer
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Diffusion; Electrolytes; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Firing; Fuel cells; Laser deposition; Machines; Magnesium; Manufacturing; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Pellets; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges; Physics of plasmas and electric discharges; Processes; Scanning electron microscopy; Sintering; Spatial distribution; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films; Transport properties of condensed matter (nonelectronic); Energy Dispersive Spectrometer; Line Profile Analysis; Energy Dispersive Spectrometer Analysis; Lanthanum Gallate; Laser Ablation Inductively Couple Plasma Mass Spectrometry; Scanning electron microscopy; Solid oxide fuel cells; Electrode electrolyte interface; Pulsed laser deposition; Perovskites; Ceramics; High temperature; Electrode material; Dispersive spectrometry; Screening; Multilayers; Perovskite; Inductively coupled plasma; Spatial distribution; Sintering; Diffusion
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-012-7309-4

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) in combination with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) is used for the determination of elemental spatial distribution in ceramic multi-layer systems such as those found in intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). Because layer sintering occurs at high temperature (usually well over 1000 °C), there may be mutual diffusion of ions from one layer to another, with dramatic consequences on cell performances. In this work, two model materials have been used to test LA-ICP-MS: La 0.83 Sr 0.17 Ga 0.83 Mg 0.17 O 2.83 (LSGM), one of the most promising electrolytes for IT-SOFCs, and La 0.8 Sr 0.2 MnO 3 (LSM), a highly representative perovskite material, which are amply used to design electrode materials. A two-layer system screen printed onto an LSM pellet (LSM–LSGM–LSM pellet) was successively sintered at a typical processing temperature, i.e. 1300 °C, for a short time (1 h). Elemental spatial distribution was determined by line profile analyses carried out on fracture surfaces; for comparison SEM-EDS line profiles were tested on the same surface. LA-ICP-MS line profile analysis evidenced that, notwithstanding the relatively low sintering temperature and short firing time (1 h per sintering), manganese cation diffusion into LSGM is relatively abundant, in agreement with previous literature reports and present EDS results. While line scan EDS analyses are not as conclusive for Ga and Mg diffusion, LA-ICP-MS shows that both ions diffuse across both interfaces, and Ga diffuses even over very long distances into the LSM pellet; on the contrary, only trace amounts of Mg can be found far from the LSGM/LSM interface.