Electrochemical Characterization of Synthesized Ni–Co and Ni–Co–Fe Electrodes for Methanol Fuel Cell

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Subir Paul ◽  
Sk Naimuddin

Pt based materials having high electrocatalytic properties are normally used for the electrodes of the fuel cell. But the cost of the material limits the commercialization of alcoholic fuel cell. Non-Pt based metals and alloys as electrode materials for methyl alcohol fuel cells have been investigated with an aim of finding high electrocatalytic surface property for the faster electrode reactions. Electrodes were fabricated by electrodeposition on pure Al foil, from an electrolyte of Ni, Co, and Fe salts. The optimum condition of electrodeposition was found by a series of experiments, varying the chemistry of the electrolyte, pH, temperature, current, and cell potential. Polarization study of the coated Ni–Co or Ni–Co–Fe alloy on pure Al was found to exhibit high exchange current density, indicating an improved electrocatalytic surface with faster charge–discharge reactions at anode and cathode and low overvoltage. Electrochemical impedance studies on the coated and uncoated surface clearly showed that the polarization resistance and impedance were decreased by Ni–Co or N–Co–Fe coating. X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) studies confirmed the presence of alloying elements and constituents of the alloy. The morphology of the deposits from scanning electron microscope (SEM) images indicated that the electrode surface was a three-dimensional space which increased the effective surface area for the electrode reactions to take place.

Electrochemical hydrogenation, lithiation and sodiation of the phases GdFe2–xMx and GdMn2–xMx (M=Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, and Mg) and the influence of doping components on electrochemical characteristics of electrode materials on their basis were studied using X-ray powder diffraction method, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray fluorescent spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Phase analysis showed a simple correspondence between unit cell parameters of the phases and atomic radii of doping elements. Electrode materials based on GdFe2 and GdMn2 doped with 2 at.% of Co, Ni and Mg demonstrated better hydrogen sorption properties than those doped with Mn and Zn. Corrosion resistance of the doped electrodes was also better than of the binary analogues (e.g. corrosion potential of the GdFe2-based electrode was –0.162 V whereas that of GdFe1.96Ni0.04 was –0.695 V). The capacity parameters were increased in the following ranges: Zn<Mn<Mg<Co<Ni and Zn<Fe<Mg<Co<Ni for GdFe2–xMx and GdMn2–xMx, respectively. After fifty cycles of charge/discharge, we observed the changes in surface morphology and composition of the electrode samples. In the structure of studied Laves type phases with MgCu2-type structure, the most suitable sites for hydrogen atoms are tetrahedral voids 8a. During lithiation and sodiation of the phases, the atoms of the M-component of the structure are replaced by the atoms of lithium, and the atoms of gadolinium are replaced by the atoms of sodium. This difference in interaction is due to the difference in atomic sizes of the atoms. No insertion of lithium or sodium into the structural voids of the phases was observed.


Polymers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei-Chi Cheng ◽  
Bing-Han Li ◽  
Feng-Shuen Tseng ◽  
Po-Ching Liang ◽  
Chia-Her Lin ◽  
...  

Four lithium coordination polymers, [Li3(BTC)(H2O)6] (1), [Li3(BTC)(H2O)5] (2), [Li3(BTC)(μ2-H2O)] (3), and [Li(H2BTC)(H2O)] (4) (H3BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylatic acid), have been synthesized and characterized. All the structures have been determined using single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Complexes 1 and 2 have two-dimensional (2-D) sheets, whereas complex 3 has three-dimensional (3-D) frameworks and complex 4 has one-dimensional (1-D) tubular chains. The crystal-to-crystal transformation was observed in 1–3 upon removal of water molecules, which accompanied the changes in structures and ligand bridging modes. Furthermore, the electrochemical properties of complexes 3 and 4 have been studied to evaluate these compounds as electrode materials in lithium ion batteries with the discharge capacities of 120 and 257 mAhg−1 in the first thirty cycles, respectively.


Fibers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaia Maria Militello ◽  
Andrea Bloise ◽  
Laura Gaggero ◽  
Gabriele Lanzafame ◽  
Rosalda Punturo

Asbestos is a hazardous mineral, as well as a common and well-known issue worldwide. However, amphiboles equal in composition but not in morphology, as well as the fibrous antigorite and lizardite, are not classified as asbestos even if more common than other forms of the mineral. Still, their potential hazardous properties requires further exploration. The proposed multi-instrumental approach focuses on the influence of textural constraints on the subsequent origin of asbestiform products in massive rock. This aspect has a significant effect on diagnostic policies addressing environmental monitoring and the clinical perspective. Concerning minerals that are chemically and geometrically (length > 5 μm, width < 3 μm and length:diameter > 3:1) but not morphologically analogous to regulated asbestos, the debate about their potential hazardous properties is open and ongoing. Therefore, a selection of various lithotypes featuring the challenging identification of fibrous phases with critical counting dimensions was investigated; this selection consisted of two serpentinites, one metabasalt and one pyroxenite. The analytical protocol included optical microscopy (OM), scanning and transmission electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS; TEM/EDS), micro-Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron radiation X-ray microtomography (SR X-ray μCT). The latter is an original non-destructive approach that allows the observation of the fiber arrangement in a three-dimensional space, avoiding morphological influence as a result of comminution.


2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Griesser ◽  
G. Buchinger ◽  
T. Raab ◽  
D. P. Claassen ◽  
Dieter Meissner

Three dimensional (3D) computer aided X-ray tomography (CT) has proven to be an extremely useful tool in developing our own as well as in examining commercially available solid oxide fuel cells. The results of 3D-CT measurements became very important for understanding the functionality of our first generation and improving the development of our second fuel cell generation. Also geometrical measurements, especially the roundness and the straightness of the tube, can be evaluated, both critical parameters when the stack is heated and mechanical stress has to be avoided. By using this technique the structure of the first generation cells proved to be of insufficient quality. Problems like the variation in thickness of the electrolyte tube as well as the homogeneity in thickness of the electrodes deposited can easily be detected by this nondestructive technique. Microscopic investigations of this problem of course provide equal results, but only after cutting the samples in many slices and many single measurements of different areas of the fuel cell. Using cells with inhomogeneous thickness of course results in drastic variations of the current densities along a single cell. Electrolyte layers that are too thick will result in power loss due to the increased resistance in the ionic conductivity of the electrolyte. If the electrolyte of an electrolyte supported cell is too thin, this can cause mechanical instability. Problems can also occur with the leak tightness of the fuel cell tube. Gas diffusion through the electrode layer can become a problem when the thickness of the electrode layer is too high. On the other hand, if the layers are too thin, the result can be a discontinuous layer, leading to a high electrical series resistance of the electrode. Besides determining the thickness variations also the porosity of the electrolyte needs careful attention. Larger cavities or shrink holes form insulating islands for the ion-stream and are therefore limiting the ionic conductivity. They are also diminishing the mechanical stability and provide problems for depositing a closed electrode film in electrode supported cells.


IUCrJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 741-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuanxuan Li ◽  
John C. H. Spence ◽  
Brenda G. Hogue ◽  
Haiguang Liu

X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) provide new opportunities for structure determination of biomolecules, viruses and nanomaterials. With unprecedented peak brilliance and ultra-short pulse duration, XFELs can tolerate higher X-ray doses by exploiting the femtosecond-scale exposure time, and can thus go beyond the resolution limits achieved with conventional X-ray diffraction imaging techniques. Using XFELs, it is possible to collect scattering information from single particles at high resolution, however particle heterogeneity and unknown orientations complicate data merging in three-dimensional space. Using the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), synthetic inorganic nanocrystals with a core–shell architecture were used as a model system for proof-of-principle coherent diffractive single-particle imaging experiments. To deal with the heterogeneity of the core–shell particles, new computational methods have been developed to extract the particle size and orientation from the scattering data to assist data merging. The size distribution agrees with that obtained by electron microscopy and the merged data support a model with a core–shell architecture.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Gladis G. Suárez ◽  
José A. Ramírez ◽  
Juan F. Castañón ◽  
Jorge A. Galavíz ◽  
Perla C. Meléndez

This work proposes the use of albedo of orange peel in generation of carbon for applications in supercapacitors. For this, a comparison of compositional and electrochemical properties present in the carbons obtained of albedo, flavedo, and the complete orange peel was carried out. The morphology and composition of carbons obtained were analyzed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The synthetized carbons were not subjected to the activation process by chemical compounds to relate only the properties of orange peel parts with their electrochemical behaviour. All samples were tested by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The carbon obtained of albedo presented a superior specific capacitance (210 F/g) of the rest samples. The value of albedo-based carbon capacitance is comparable with works presented in the literature that used a whole orange peel with chemical activators. In this way, it is possible to obtain large capacitances using only a part of orange peel (albedo). Thus, the importance of this study is that the albedo can be proposed as a material applied to electrodes for supercapacitors while the flavedo can be used in food industry or for oil extraction.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 7026-7034 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Thiruppathi ◽  
M. Vahini ◽  
P. Devendran ◽  
M. Arunpandian ◽  
K. Selvakumar ◽  
...  

The hydrothermally synthesized CuWO4 nanoparticles (NPs) were characterized with different analysis such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), UV-Visible and Photoluminescence (PL) analysis. The prepared CuWO4 NPs were examined with Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). SEM images show that CuWO4 NPs are highly spherical shaped morphology and porous in nature. The optical band gap of prepared CuWO4 NPs is found to be 2.12 eV. Photodegradation of diclofenac sodium (DFS) (medical waste) in the aqueous medium with CuWO4 NPs under visible light irradiation shows 98% degradation. The CuWO4 NPs was stable up to 5th cycle it can be used as a reusable photocatalyst for the DFS degradation. The electrical conductivity and dielectric properties of the CuWO4 NPs at room temperature is analyzed by EIS studies. The bulk conductivity value of the prepared nanoparticles is 1.477×10-5 S/cm at room temperature. The conductivity of CuWO4 NPs is found to be due to electrons movement. The CuWO4 NPs shows higher photocatalytic and electrocatalytic activity for decomposition of DFS and methanol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium respectively.


2008 ◽  
Vol 80 (11) ◽  
pp. 2327-2343 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Subramanian ◽  
Hongwei Zhu ◽  
Bingqing Wei

Manganese oxides have been synthesized by a variety of techniques in different nanostructures and studied for their properties as electrode materials in two different storage applications, supercapacitors (SCs) and Li-ion batteries. The composites involving carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and manganese oxides were also prepared by a simple room-temperature method and evaluated as electrode materials in the above applications. The synthesis of nanostructured manganese oxides was carried out by simple soft chemical methods without any structure directing agents or surfactants. The prepared materials were well characterized using different analytical techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), surface area studies, etc. The electrochemical properties of the nanostructured manganese oxides and their composites were studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) studies. The influence of structural/surface properties on the electrochemical performance of the synthesized manganese oxides is reviewed.


Author(s):  
Jianhua Su ◽  
Rui Li ◽  
Hong Qiao ◽  
Jing Xu ◽  
Qinglin Ai ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a dual peg-in-hole insertion strategy. Dual peg-in-hole insertion is the most common task in manufacturing. Most of the previous work develop the insertion strategy in a two- or three-dimensional space, in which they suppose the initial yaw angle is zero and only concern the roll and pitch angles. However, in some case, the yaw angle could not be ignored due to the pose uncertainty of the peg on the gripper. Therefore, there is a need to design the insertion strategy in a higher-dimensional configuration space. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors handle the insertion problem by converting it into several sub-problems based on the attractive region formed by the constraints. The existence of the attractive region in the high-dimensional configuration space is first discussed. Then, the construction of the high-dimensional attractive region with its sub-attractive region in the low-dimensional space is proposed. Therefore, the robotic insertion strategy can be designed in the subspace to eliminate some uncertainties between the dual pegs and dual holes. Findings Dual peg-in-hole insertion is realized without using of force sensors. The proposed strategy is also used to demonstrate the precision dual peg-in-hole insertion, where the clearance between the dual-peg and dual-hole is about 0.02 mm. Practical implications The sensor-less insertion strategy will not increase the cost of the assembly system and also can be used in the dual peg-in-hole insertion. Originality/value The theoretical and experimental analyses for dual peg-in-hole insertion are proposed without using of force sensor.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fredy Alejandro Orjuela Guerrero ◽  
John Jairo Olaya Florez ◽  
José Edgar Alfonso Orjuela

Objective: In this work, niobium carbide (NbC) coatings were deposited on substrates of the tool steels AISI H13 and AISI D2 using thermo-reactive deposition/diffusion (TRD) in order to analyze their behavior against corrosion in a saline environment. Materials and methods: The niobium carbides were obtained using salt baths composed of borax pentahydrate, aluminum and ferroniobium. This mixture was heated at 1050 °C for 4 hours. The chemical composition was determined by X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The coatings were morphologically characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the crystal structure was analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the electrochemical behavior was studied using potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Results and discussion: The XRF analysis indicated that the coatings contained 87.476 wt% Nb and 51.943 wt% Nb for the D2-substrate and the H13-substrate, respectively. The SEM images revealed that the morphology of the surface of the coatings was homogeneous. The XRD analysis established that the coatings were polycrystalline, and the electrochemical tests established that the corrosion resistance increased slightly in the covered substrates with respect to the uncoated steels, with the best results being obtained in the layers of niobium carbide deposited on AISI D2 steel. Conclusions: The analysis of corrosion resistance revealed that the coatings prepared on D2 steel have a higher corrosion resistance because they have fewer surface imperfections, which causes the coating to exhibit a dielectric behavior.


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