The International Centre for Diffraction Data (ICDD) Powder Diffraction File (PDF) database is maintained in current form on CD-ROM. Diffraction data analysis is accomplished using various PC-based software.

TA Instruments SDT 2960 for simultaneous thermogravimeric analysis and differential thermal analysis with on line mass spectrometer for off-gas analysis.

Transmittance and reflectance FTIR data will be collected on a Perkin Elmer Spectrum GX.

Varian Cary 300 UV-Vis spectrophotometer, with absorbance from 190 to 750 nm, in a variety of cell sizes.

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) data is collected on a JEOL JSM-T300 SEM with energy dispersive capabilities. This SEM is shared with us by SNL Department 6118.

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Atomic absorption spectrometer is a Perkin Elmer 5100PC unit.

Capabilities for SOFC and ionic conductivity oxide materials include Ideal Ion Conductivity can be measured from 500-800 °C by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. A furnace test cell will be designed and constructed to measure material conductivities using a Solatron 1260 Impedance Analyzer under open circuit conditions in a flowing mixture of air, oxygen, and mixtures of fuel and air. The impedance results will measure the total electrode resistance in the cell; the resistance measurements are used to calculate conductivity of the new oxide phases.

Physisorption and chemisorption techniques are used to determine the surface area, pore structure, percent metal dispersion, active metal surface area, size of active particles and surface acidity of catalyst materials. For these we use Micromeritics ASAP 2010 physisorption and AutoChem II 2920 fully automated chemisorption analyzer.

Surface area and pore volume distribution analyses are performed on ASAP 2010. The ASAP 2010 system characterizes samples with nitrogen gas as the standard adsorptive gas and has the versatility for analyses of materials with low surface areas using krypton and other adsorptive gases, micropore analyses (pore radii between 5 and 15 Angstroms), and chemisorption. The system performs automatic single-point and multi-point BET surface area, Langmuir surface area, and Olivier-Conklin DFT(tm) analyses, full adsorption and desorption isotherms, and pore size and pore volume distributions.

The AutoChem II 2920 is a fully automated chemisorption analyzer with the ability to conduct a comprehensive array of highly precise studies of chemical adsorption and temperature-programmed reactions. We can acquire information about the physical properties of our catalysts, catalyst supports, or other materials. We can determine catalytic properties such as percent of metal dispersion, active metal surface area, acid strength, surface acidity, distribution and strength of active sites, BET surface area, and more. The AutoChem II 2920 performs pulse chemisorption, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), desorption (TPD), oxidation (TPO), and reaction analyses.

Hydrogen/Light Gases Permeation Unit: A compact membrane test unit has been designed and built to collect permeation and separation selectivity data on various prepared and synthesized materials. The unit readily fits into a 1.6 cu.ft. convection oven. The unit is assembled from commercially available Swagelok ® and Cajon ® Ultra-Torr tube fittings. The unit can be operated at temperatures up to 200°C and pressures to 150 psig. A Hewlett Packard gas chromatograph, with a combination flame-ionization detector (FID) / unit resolution quadrupole mass spectrometer, and a QMS200 Residual Gas Analyzer provide analytical capabilities for the unit.

In collaboration with other groups at Sandia we have access elemental analysis instruments of ICP/AES, ICP/MS, at atomic scale resolution TEM, NMR, and XPS analytic facilities. The computer software needed to support this research is also on hand and operational. This includes the REACT and EQ#/6 codes for reaction path and solution equilibria calculations. FITEQL, the state of the art code for fitting surface chemical titrations is operational, as is HYDRAQL another surface speciation code.