Equipment

Due to our long-standing expertise in electrochemical technologies - from fuel cells to batteries to electrolysis and, more recently, electrosynthesis - we have a broad spectrum of methods and tools for the analysis and knowledge-based optimization of these technologies. For the characterization of electrical, electrochemical, chemical and microstructural properties of materials, components and electrochemical cells we have the following equipment at IAM-ET:

Surface treatment and preparation
  • Clean room facilities for thin and thick film preparation
    • Screen printing
    • Magnetron sputter coater (von Ardenne)
    • Spincoater
  • Grinding laboratory for cross-section preparation (cutting, embedding, grinding and polishing)
    • Diamond wire saw
    • Polishing and grinding equipment
  • Gloveboxes for preparation of lithium-ion batteries under inert gas atmosphere
Workshops
  • Electronics workshop
  • Mechanical workshop
Analytical methods for microstructure and material characterization
  • Scanning electron microscope with FIB and EDX (Zeiss)
  • Micro-CT
  • High temperature X-ray diffractometer (XRD)
  • Confocal Raman microscope (Renishaw inVia Reflex)
  • Light and laser microscopes (Keyence)
  • Thermal analysis up to 1500°C (TG, DSC, Dilatometer)
  • Density measurement
Chemical analysis
  • High performance liquid chromatograph (Vanquish HPLC from Thermo Fisher Scientific) with UV-Vis detector and mass spectrometer (ESI u. APCI)
  • µ-gas chromatograph for operando analysis of gas conversion in fuel cells
  • Gas chromatograph with BID detector for online Gas analysis (Shimadzu Nexis GC-2030)
  • Gas chromatograph with mass spectrometer incl. headspace application (Clarus 690/ Clarus SQ 8T HS-GC-MS from Perkin Elmar)
  • Infrared spectrometer (Nicolet iS50 FTIR from Thermo Fisher Scientific)
  • Operando electrochemical mass spectrometer (OEMS, EI, 1-200 amu) (OmniStar GSD 350 from Pfeiffer Vacuum)
  • UV-Vis spectrophotometer with double beam optic (Thermo Scientific GENESYS 150)

Measurement technology for the electrochemical characterization of

fuel cells and electrolyzers
  • Test stands for characterization of single cells and stacks for
    • High-temperature fuel cells and electrolyzers (SOFC/SOEC)
    • Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and electrolysers (PEM-FC/PEM-EC)
    • investigation of the performance and lifetime of single cells and near-stack repeating units
    • incremental (1 cm²), segmented and large area cells
    • SOC tests with complex gas mixtures (H2/H2O/CO/CO2/CnHm/N2/He), reformates and ammonia, poisoning experiments with impurities such as H2S, SO2
  • Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for analysis of transport properties and electrochemical processes
  • Operando gas analysis for the determination of gas conversion in fuel cell and (co-)electrolysis operation

Batteries
  • Test stands for characterization of lithium-ion and all-solid-state cells
  • Lifetime analysis, cyclic and calendar aging of cells,
  • test of different cell formats - experimental cells (EL-Cell) to large format automotive cells (round, pouch and prismatic cells up to 120 Ah), current range (incl. EIS): µA - 200 A
  • electrochemical impedance spectroscopy over wide frequency ranges (mHz - MHz), measurement of low impedance systems (< 1 mW), RF impedance measurement technique (< 3 GHz) for all-solid-state cells
  • Nonlinear Frequency Response Analysis
  • Operando gas analysis up to 130°C for formation and high temperature battery gases.
Electrocatalysis and electrosynthesis
  • Measuring stations for rotating ring and disc electrodes (Pine Research)
  • Spectro-electrochemical measuring cells for operando measurements with ATR-SEIRAS (Pike Technologies / Jackfish SEC)
  • Various potentiostats: Gamry 600+, 3000, 1010E, Zahner Zenium
  • Various measuring cells for electrochemical measurements in batch and flow mode

 

If you have any questions about instruments, applications or evaluation methods, please contact one of the contact persons: