Impregnation methods for quantitative analyses of the gas diffusion layer in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Microstructural analysis is central to understand and predict the performance degradation of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) materials. Advanced electron x-ray 3-D microscopy methods are needed characterize reticulate structures forming catalyst, gas diffusion layer/ microporous layers. The high-throughput dual beam scanning microscope allows imaging such layers with a spatial resolution in range few nm. However, for accurate quantitative analyses, impregnation porous sample required mitigate artefacts due milling pore-through effect, provide sufficient contrast between material phases image segmentation. This study investigates an method based upon addition Cobalt (II) acetylacetonate nanoparticles epoxy polymer resin. results were compared conventional using commercial resins stereology on sections polished by focused ion (FIB). indicate appropriateness newly proposed method, providing adequate An Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) was included obtain information about composition, which can be used further improvements