Oxygen permeability and stability of Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ as an oxygen-permeable membrane at high pressures

Oxygen permeation fluxes across the dense Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3−δ (BSCFO) membrane disks were measured under an air/helium oxygen partial pressure gradient at high pressures (up to 10 atm) and various temperatures (973–1123 K). The fabricated BSCFO membrane exhibited good oxygen permeability with a high oxygen permeation flux of 2.01 ml min^− 1cm^− 2 (thickness: 1.37 mm) at 1123 K and 10 atm. Oxygen permeation results were analyzed theoretically using the surface exchange current model. The dependences of the oxygen permeation fluxes on the oxygen partial pressure gradient, suggested that the bulk oxygen ionic diffusion was the rate-limiting step for the overall oxygen permeation process across the BSCFO membrane. The ambipolar diffusion coefficients (D_a), the oxygen vacancy diffusion coefficients (D_v) and the oxygen ionic conductivities (σ_i) of the BSCFO material at different temperatures (973–1123 K) were calculated. It was found that BSCFO possessed high oxygen diffusion coefficients and ionic conductivities, which resulted in the good oxygen permeability of BSCFO. In addition, the BSCFO membrane exhibited good stability of oxygen permeation at 1123 K, while the deterioration of oxygen permeation stability was observed at 1098 K due to structural changes occurring at the surface of the BSCFO membrane disk as demonstrated by XRD.     

Electronic conductivity and chemical diffusion in n-conducting barium titanate ceramics at high temperatures

The electronic conductivity as well as the chemical diffusion coefficient of barium titanate ceramics doped with Y and Mn (donor-doped and acceptor co-doped) have been determined by application of conductivity relaxation experiments. The equilibrium values of the electronic conductivity of n-conducting BaTiO₃ have been analyzed by application of a defect chemical model involving electrons and cation vacancies as the predominant defect species at oxidizing conditions (fairly high oxygen partial pressures). The relaxation curves of the electronic conductivity yield the chemical diffusion coefficient of the bulk by employing a spherical grain model where the appropriate diffusion length is the radius of grains (average grain size). The conductivity relaxation experiments have been performed as a function of temperature ranging from 1100 to 1250 °C at oxygen partial pressures between 0.01 and 1 bar. The kinetics of the oxygen exchange process can be interpreted in terms of extremely fast diffusion of oxygen via oxygen vacancies along the grain boundaries and slow diffusion of Ti (cation)-vacancies from the grain boundaries into the grains. The Ti-vacancy diffusion coefficients were extracted from the chemical diffusion coefficients as a function of temperature. Typical values for the Ti-vacancy diffusivity are around 10^− 15 cm² s^− 1 with an activation energy of 3.9 ± 0.7 eV.     

The influence of grain boundary on the conductivity of donor doped SrTiO3

The electrical conductivity of polycrystalline Sr(Ti_0.999Nb_0.001)O₃ was investigated. The conductivity was smaller by 1–2 order than that of the single crystal. The conductivity increased with temperature with the activation energy of 0.61 eV. The distribution of grain boundary nature of the polycrystalline sample was determined by Orientation Imaging Microscope (OIM) analysis. The ratio of coincident lattice boundaries was determined to be approximately 20%. The impedance of bicrystals across the grain boundary with different grain boundary type was measured. The grain boundary impedance was found to consist of two RC parallel components in series. The activation energies of them were 0.56–0.71 eV and 1.73–1.97 eV, respectively. These two processes were assigned to the grain boundary or annealed surface layer and the Schottky barrier between the bulk and the surface or the grain boundary layer. A possible conduction mechanism of polycrystalline material was considered that of the three dimensional network of the grain boundary layer.     

Oxygen diffusion studies on (Y2O3)2(Sc2O3)9(ZrO2)89

The oxygen tracer diffusion coefficient (D?) has been measured for 9 mol% scandia 2 mol% yttria co-doped zirconia solid solution, (Y₂O₃)₂(Sc₂O₃)₉(ZrO₂)₈₉, using isotopic exchange and line scanning by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry, as a function of temperature. The values of the tracer diffusion coefficient are in the range of 10^? 8–10^? 7 cm² s^? 1 and the Arrhenius activation energy was calculated to be 0.9 eV; both valid in the temperature range of 600–900 °C. Electrical conductivity measurements were carried out using 2-probe and 4-probe AC impedance spectroscopy, and a 4-point DC method at various temperatures. There is a good agreement between the measured tracer diffusion coefficients (D?, Ea = 0.9 eV) and the diffusion coefficients calculated from the DC total conductivity data (D_σ, Ea = 1.0 eV), the latter calculated using the Nernst–Einstein relationship.     

Oxygen nonstoichiometry and transport properties of strontium substituted lanthanum cobaltite

Oxygen nonstoichiometry, structure and transport properties of the two compositions (La_0.6Sr_0.4)_0.99CoO_3−δ (LSC40) and La_0.85Sr_0.15CoO_3−δ (LSC15) were measured. It was found that the oxygen nonstoichiometry as a function of the temperature and oxygen partial pressure could be described using the itinerant electron model. The electrical conductivity, σ, of the materials is high (σ > 500 S cm^− 1) in the measured temperature range (650–1000 °C) and oxygen partial pressure range (0.209–10^− 4 atm). At 900 °C the electrical conductivity is 1365 and 1491 S cm^− 1 in air for LSC40 and LSC15, respectively. A linear correlation between the electrical conductivity and the oxygen vacancy concentration was found for both samples. The mobility of the electron-holes was inversely proportional with the absolute temperature indicating a metallic type conductivity for LSC40. Using electrical conductivity relaxation the chemical diffusion coefficient of oxygen was determined. It was found that accurate values of the chemical diffusion coefficient could only be obtained using a sample with a porous surface coating. The porous surface coating increased the surface exchange reaction thereby unmasking the chemical diffusion coefficient. The ionic conductivity deduced from electrical conductivity relaxation was determined to be 0.45 S cm^− 1 and 0.01 S cm^− 1 at 1000 and 650 °C, respectively. The activation energy for the ionic conductivity at a constant vacancy concentration (δ = 0.125) was found to be 0.90 eV.     

Transport properties and phase stability of mixed conducting oxide membranes

At high strontium doping levels, perovskite oxides containing iron have suitable stability and transport properties for use as oxide ion transport membranes. In our studies of these materials, we have investigated the pO₂ and temperature dependence of the conductivity and non-stoichiometry of La_1−xSr_xFe_1−yM_yO_3−δ (M = Cr, Ti) by using electrochemical cells and the thermal expansion by dilatometry. Non-equilibrium behavior is observed in both the chemical expansion data and also in the conductivity and stoichiometry and suggests the occurrence of microscopic phase segregation on reduction. Analysis of the microstructure of quenched samples confirms the occurrence of local phase separation. Bulk diffusion and surface exchange coefficients under near-gradientless conditions have been determined by the electrical conductivity relaxation (ECR) technique and by isotope exchange depth profiling (IEDP). Evaluation of transport under a chemical gradient was accomplished by transient isotopic tracing of operating membranes. The isotope transients (¹⁶O₂–¹⁸O₂) were performed on tubular membranes operating at steady state at temperatures between 1023 K and 1173 K and allow an unambiguous separation of surface and bulk resistances to oxygen permeation under steady state conditions, a separation not possible by permeation measurements alone.     

Lithium conductivity and lithium diffusion in NASICON-type Li<Subscript>1+x</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>2–x</Subscript>Al<Subscript>x</Subscript>(PO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript> (x= 0; 0.3) prepared by mechanical activation

LiTi₂(PO₄)₃ (LTP) and Li_1.3Al_0.3Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃ (LATP) (S. g. R-3c) have been prepared using conventional ceramic and mechanical activation (MA) methods. It has been shown that preliminary mechanical activation of initial mixtures leads to different nature and amount of dielectric admixtures in the final product after heat treatment at 800–1000 °C as compared with ceramic method. Transport properties of as prepared materials have been studied by lithium ionic conductivity at d.c. and a.c. (complex impedance method), and ⁷Li NMR spin-lattice relaxation rate T₁ ^–1 measurements. Lithium ionic conductivity of mechanochemically prepared LTP and LATP was characterized by significant reduction of grain boundary resistance, especially for LTP, while the bulk conductivity and Li ion diffusion does not noticeably change. The activation energy of bulk conductivity and Li ion diffusion, i.e. short-range motion, appeared to be almost the same for all samples and was equal to ~0.20 eV. On contrary, the activation energy of d.c.-conductivity, i.e. long-range Li ion motion decreases from ~0.6 eV for ceramic samples to ~0.4 eV for samples prepared via mechanochemical route. It was proposed that MA leads to formation of nano-particulate high-conductive grain boundaries both in LTP and LATP. Paper presented at the 11th EuroConference on the Science and Technology of Ionics, Batz-sur-Mer, Sept. 9–15, 2007.     

Diffusion of nickel in single- and polycrystalline Cr2O3

Chromia protective layers are formed on many industrial alloys to prevent corrosion by oxidation. Their role is to limit the inward diffusion of oxygen and the outward diffusion of cations. A number of chromia-forming alloys contain nickel as a component, such as steels, FeNiCr and NiCr alloys. To ascertain if chromia is a barrier to outward diffusion, nickel diffusion in chromia was studied in both single crystals and polycrystals in the temperature range 900–1100°C at an oxygen pressure of 10^?4 atm (argon + 100 ppm O₂). A nickel film of ～35 nm thick was deposited on the chromia surface and, after diffusing treatment, nickel penetration profiles were established by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Two diffusion domains appear in polycrystals, the first domain is assigned to bulk diffusion and the second is due to diffusion along grain boundaries. For the bulk diffusion domain and diffusion in single crystals, using a solution of Fick's second law for diffusion from a thick film, bulk diffusion coefficients were determined at 900 and 1000°C. At the higher temperature, a solution of Fick's second law for diffusion from a thin film could be used. For the second domain in polycrystals, Le Claire's model allowed the grain boundary diffusion parameter (αD _gb δ) to be established. Nickel bulk diffusion does not vary significantly according to the microstructure of chromia. The activation energy of grain boundary diffusion is slightly greater than the activation energy of bulk diffusion, probably on account of segregation phenomena. Nickel diffusion was compared with cationic self-diffusion and with literature data on Fe and Mn heterodiffusion in the bulk and along grain boundaries. All results were analyzed in relation to the oxidation process of stainless steel.     

Computer simulation of defects and oxygen transport in yttria-stabilized zirconia

We have used molecular dynamics simulations and energy minimization calculations to examine defect energetics and oxygen diffusion in yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). Oxygen vacancies prefer to be second nearest neighbors to yttrium dopants. The oxygen diffusion coefficient shows a peak at 8 mol% yttria consistent with experimental findings. The activation energy for oxygen diffusion varies from 0.6 to 1.0 eV depending on the yttria content. The Y_Zr′–V_O^··–Y_Zr′ complex with a binding energy of − 0.85 eV may play an important role in any conductivity degradation of YSZ.     

Silver grain boundary diffusion in Pd

Two to ten nanometer thick polycrystalline Pd films were prepared on the (1 1 1) surface of Ag single crystal and investigations of the Ag diffusion along Pd grain boundaries were carried out using the Hwang-Balluffi method. The samples were monitored by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) during isothermal heat treatments in the 438-563 K temperature range. Using plausible simplifying assumptions, the activation energy of the product of the grain boundary (GB) diffusion coefficient and k′ (k′ = c_s/c_gb; c_s and c_gb are the surface and GB concentration, respectively) was calculated (0.99 ± 0.08 eV) from the evaluated saturation coefficients of the surface accumulation. This energy, for weak temperature dependence of k′, is approximately equal to the activation energy of the GB diffusion.     

Oxygen diffusion and surface exchange studies on (La0.75Sr0.25)0.95Cr0.5Mn0.5O3−δ

Oxygen tracer diffusion coefficient (D^⁎) and surface exchange coefficient (k^⁎) have been measured for (La_0.75Sr_0.25)_0.95Cr_0.5Mn_0.5O_3−δ using isotopic exchange and depth profiling by secondary ion mass spectrometry technique as a function of temperature (700–1000 °C) in dry oxygen and in a water vapour-forming gas mixture. The typical values of D^⁎ under oxidising and reducing conditions at ∼ 1000 °C are 4 × 10^− 10 cm² s^− 1 and 3 × 10^− 8 cm² s^− 1 respectively, whereas the values of k^⁎ under oxidising and reducing conditions at ∼ 1000 °C are 5 × 10^− 8 cm s^− 1 and 4 × 10^− 8 cm s^− 1 respectively. The apparent activation energies for D^⁎ in oxidising and reducing conditions are 0.8 eV and 1.9 eV respectively.     

Effects of crystallographic orientation on the oxygen exchange rate of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films

The oxygen surface exchange of La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ (LSM) thin films was investigated using the electrical conductivity relaxation (ECR) method. Epitaxial (100)-, (110)-, and (111)-oriented LSM films were fabricated on corresponding SrTiO₃ (STO) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. The LSM films had well-controlled surface qualities, exhibited bulk-like steady-state electrical properties, and exhibited surface dominated responses in ECR. The chemical surface exchange coefficients (k_chem) were determined and varied from ≈ 1 × 10^− 6 to 65 × 10^− 6 cm/s, depending on temperature and orientation, with activation energies of between 0.8 and 1.2 eV. At 800 °C, a four fold variation is observed in the k_chem values, with (110)/(100) being the highest/lowest, explained well by the high activation energy for (110), ≈ 1.16 eV, and the low energy for (111) and (100), ≈0.83 eV.     

The interaction of O2 with the surface of polycrystalline gadolinium at the temperature range 300–670 K

Auger-Electron-Spectroscopy (AES) and Direct-Recoils-Spectrometry (DRS) were applied to study the interaction of O₂ with a polycrystalline gadolinium surface, in the temperature range 300–670 K and oxygen pressure up to 2 × 10^? 6 Torr. It has been found that initial uptake of oxygen, at coverage measurable by the techniques used here, results in rapid oxide island formation. The subsurface is believed to be a mixture of oxide particles and oxygen dissolved in the Gd metal, the latter being the mobile species, even at relatively low temperatures.Enhanced inward diffusion of oxygen starts as early as 420 K and dictates the surface oxygen concentration and effective thickness of the forming oxide. The oxygen accumulation rate at the near-surface region, as measured by the O(KLL) AES signal intensity, goes through a maximum as a function of temperature at 420 K. This is a result of the combination of still efficient oxygen chemisorption that increases surface occupation and slow inward diffusion. The thickest oxide, ~ 1.7 nm, is formed at 300 K and its effective thickness was found to decrease with increasing temperature (due to oxygen dissolution into the metal bulk).Diffusion coefficients of the oxygen dissolution into the bulk were evaluated for various temperatures utilizing models for infinitely thin oxide layer and thick oxide layer, respectively. The best fit under our experimental procedure was obtained by the thick layer model, and the coefficients that were calculated are D₀ = 2.2 × 10^? 16m²s^? 1 and E_a = 46kJ/mol.     

Electrical and structural investigations of perovskite structure reactively sputter deposited coatings

Sr(Zr_0.84Y_0.16)_0.91O_3 ? δ (SZY) and Ba(Zr_0.84Y_0.16)_0.96O_3 ? δ (BZY) protonic conductor coatings were co-sputter deposited from metallic targets in argon–oxygen reactive gas mixtures. The chemical and structural features were investigated by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, and their morphology was assessed by scanning electron microscopy of the surface and of brittle fracture cross sections. The electrical properties of the coating were determined by complex impedance spectroscopy as a function of temperature in air. Relationships are established between the electrical properties and the morphology of the coatings. The SZY as deposited coatings is amorphous and crystallises under the convenient perovskite structure after annealing treatment at 873 K under air. The BZY as deposited coatings is crystallised at 523 K in situ under perovskite structure and a further annealing treatment increases the grain size. Conductivities and activation energies of crystallised coatings were 3.1 · 10^? 5 S cm^? 1/2 · 10^? 5 S cm^? 1 and 0.65 eV/0.71 eV after stabilization at 773 K for strontium and barium zirconate, respectively.     

The effect of cation nonstoichiometry on the electrical conductivity of acceptor-doped CaZrO3

The electrical properties of acceptor-doped Ca_1−xZr_0.99M_0.01O_3−δ (M = Mg²⁺, In³⁺) systems were investigated as a function of cation nonstoichiometry (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.05). The characterization was carried out using the impedance spectroscopy between 550 °C and 1100 °C in dry air. The contributions of the grain and grain boundary conductivity to the total conductivity were obtained from the impedance data. When the Ca deficiency (x) increased, the total conductivity rapidly decreased with the corresponding increase in activation energy. Although the grain conductivity increased slightly with increasing x, the total conductivity is mostly determined by the highly resistive grain boundary. With varying x, the activation energy of total conductivity showed the percolation behavior. The percolation threshold values vary according to the doped species. It may be due to the difference in concentration of oxygen vacancies of the specimens.     

An acoustic study of the mixed-alkali-mixed phase β-aluminas. Part 1: Naβ″/βAl2O3, Kβ″/βAl2O3 and (Na0.6K0.4)β″/βAl2O3

The relative attenuation of compressional sound waves of frequencies 10–60 MHz in mixed alkali (Na/K) mixed phase (β″/β)-aluminas is reported for temperatures 80–550 K. The internal friction peaks shift to higher frequencies at higher temperatures and are attributed to Na⁺ interactions in Naβ″/β alumina and Na⁺ and K⁺ in NaK β″/β alumina. The broad attenuation peaks occuring at low temperatures (< 300 K) and at higher temperatures (> 400 K) suggest multi-relaxation processes giving a distribution of activation energies. The estimated average activation energy for Na⁺ diffusion in Naβ″/βAl₂ O₃ at low temperatures and high temperatures is 0.183 eV and 0.387 eV respectively. In the NaK β″/βAl₂o₃ samples, the Na ⁺ values were 0.239 eV and 0.386 eV, respectively. The estimated average activation energies for K⁺ diffusion at low and high temperatures in the Kβ″/β-alumina samples were 0.269 eV and 0.371 eV and for K⁺ in the NaK β″/β samples, 0252 eV and 0.339 eV, respectively. The low temperature attenuation peaks were interpreted in terms of ionic interaction in the bulk and the high temperature peaks were related to interactions in the grain boundaries. The measured activation energies confirmed these interpretations. A reversal of the temperature appearance of the Na⁺ and K⁺ high temperature peaks in the NaKβ″/βAl₂ O₃ is explained by the disorder at the grain boundaries.     

First study of manganese diffusion in Cr2O3 polycrystals and thin films by SIMS

Chromia layers are formed on many industrial alloys and act as a protective barrier against the corrosion of the materials by limiting the diffusion of oxygen and cations. Most of these alloys contain manganese as an impurity, and manganese oxides are often found at the outer surface of the oxide films. In order to clarify the oxidation mechanism and to check if chromia acts as a barrier, manganese diffusion in chromia was studied in both polycrystals and oxide films formed by oxidation of Ni–30Cr alloy in the temperature range 700–1100°C at an oxygen pressure of 10^?4?atm. After deposition of Mn on the chromia surface and a diffusing treatment, the manganese penetration profiles were established by secondary ion mass spectrometry. In all cases, the diffusion profiles showed two domains. For the first domain, using the solution of Fick's law for diffusion from a thick film into a semi-infinite medium, bulk diffusion coefficients were determined. For the second domain, the Le Claire model allowed the grain boundary diffusion parameter (αD _gbδ) to be obtained. Manganese diffusion does not vary significantly according to the nature and microstructure of chromia. The activation energy of grain boundary diffusion is not far from that obtained for bulk diffusion, probably on account of segregation phenomena. Manganese diffusion was compared to cationic self-diffusion and iron diffusion, and related to the protective character of chromia.     

The sodium diffusion in aluminium-oxide

The transport of Na through the polycrystalline ceramic arc tube of high intensity discharge lamps has been investigated. This complex process consists of several steps: solution in the ceramics, diffusion through the ceramics, leaving the bulk phase, evaporation from the surface. Among the listed processes the kinetics of the diffusion was examined in the temperature range 400-1200 °C, separately from other disturbing effects. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) were used to determine the concentration depth profiles. The obtained results confirmed that the grain boundary diffusion plays an important role in the transport process of sodium through the ceramic wall. The bulk and the grain boundary diffusion coefficients and the temperature dependencies of these transport processes have been determined. The activation energy of Na bulk diffusion is 56.5 ± 6.7 kJ/mol at 900-1200 °C, respectively the activation energies of Na grain boundary diffusion amount to 97.5 ± 21.6 kJ/mol in the temperature range 700-1100 °C and 7.7 ± 4.0 × 10⁻² kJ/mol at 400-700 °C. The preexponential factor of the bulk diffusion was found to be D_o = 5.1 × 10⁻¹⁵ ± 9.5 × 10⁻¹⁷ cm²/s in the temperature range 900-1200°C, whereas the preexponential factors of grain boundary diffusion are D_o = 1.1 × 10⁻¹⁰ ± 1.1 × 10⁻¹¹ cm²/s at 700-1100 °C and D_o = 7.5 × 10^-15 ± 1.5 × 10⁻¹⁷ cm²/s at 400-700 °C.     

Surface mass diffusion and step stiffness on an anisotropic surface; Mo(0 1 1)

Results of step fluctuation experiments for Mo(0 1 1), using low-energy electron microscopy, are re-examined using recently developed procedures that offer accurate coefficients of surface mass diffusion. By these means, surface diffusion D_s is documented at T/T_m ∼ 0.5, while the crossover to relaxation driven by bulk vacancy diffusion is inferred for T/T_m ∼ 0.6. Here, T_m is the melting temperature T_m = 2896 K. We obtain D_s = 4 × 10⁻⁴ exp(−1.13 eV/k_BT) cm²/s for the temperature interval 1080-1680 K. Possible indications of diffusion along step edges appear for T/T_m ∼ 0.4. The same measurements of step fluctuation amplitudes determine also the step stiffness, which by symmetry is anisotropic on Mo(0 1 1). It is shown that three independent procedures yield mutually consistent step stiffness anisotropies. These are (1) step fluctuation amplitudes; (2) step relaxation rate anisotropies; and (3) the observed anisotropies of islands in equilibrium on the Mo(0 1 1) surface. The magnitude of the step stiffness obtained from step edge relaxation is consistent with earlier measurements that determine diffusion from grain boundary grooving.     

Diffusion and conductivity properties of cerium niobate

The tracer diffusion coefficient (D⁎) and the surface exchange coefficient (k⁎) provide vital information for materials used in high temperature electrochemical devices (e.g. solid oxide fuel cells or oxygen permeation membranes). These values were established for the high temperature tetragonal scheelite structured CeNbO_4+δ (monoclinic fergusonite at room temperature), which is of interest due to its wide range of oxygen stoichiometries varying from stoichiometric CeNbO₄ to CeNbO_4.33. Measurements of D⁎ and k⁎ were performed by the isotopic exchange/line scan technique with SIMS (secondary ion mass spectrometry) used to determine ¹⁸O stable isotope depth distribution. This process was carried out between temperatures of 1073 K and 1173 K at 500 mbar of ¹⁶O/¹⁸O. These measurements were then correlated with oxide ion conductivity data previously determined from four probe d.c. and e.m.f. measurements using the Nernst–Einstein relation.