Oxygen Diffusion Research Articles

Coupling scales in process‐based soil organic carbon modeling including dynamic aggregation

AbstractBackgroundCarbon storage and turnover in soils depend on the interplay of soil architecture, microbial activities, and soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics. For a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms that drive these processes, not only the exploitation of advanced experimental techniques down to the nanoscale is necessary but also spatially explicit and dynamic image‐based modeling at the pore scale.AimWe present a modeling approach that is capable of transferring microscale information into macroscale simulations at the profile scale. This enables the prediction of future developments of carbon fluxes and the impact of changes in the environmental conditions linking scales.MethodWe consider a mathematical model for CO2 transport across soil profiles (macroscale), which is informed by a pore‐scale (microscale) model for C turnover. It allows for the dynamic, self‐organized re‐arrangement of solid building units, aggregates and particulate organic matter (POM) based on surface interactions, realized by a cellular automaton method, and explicitly takes spatial effects on POM turnover such as occlusion into account. We further include the macroscopic environmental conditions water saturation, POM content, and oxygen concentration.ResultsThe coupled simulations of macroscopic transport and pore‐scale carbon and aggregate turnover reveal the complex, nonlinear interplay of the underlying processes. Limitations by diffusive transport, oxygen availability, texture‐dependent occlusion and turnover of OM drive CO2 production and carbon storage.ConclusionsThis emphasizes the need for such micro–macro models exchanging information on different scales to investigate and quantify the effects of structural changes, variations in environmental conditions, or degradation processes on carbon turnover.

Temperature-Dependent Electrochemical Performance of Ta-Substituted SrCoO3 Perovskite for Supercapacitors.

Developing new electrode materials with good temperature-dependent electrochemical performance has become a great issue for the deployment of hybrid supercapacitors with wide temperature tolerance. In this work, a series of Ta-substituted SrCo1-x Tax O3-δ (x=0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20) perovskites have been studied as positive electrodes for hybrid supercapacitors in terms of their structures, elemental valence states and electrochemical performances. Incorporating Ta into SrCoO3-δ perovskite not only stabilizes the crystallite structure but also notably improves electrochemical activities. The SrCo0.95 Ta0.05 O3-δ @CC delivers the highest specific capacity (Qsp ) of 227.91 C g-1 at 1 A g-1 , which is attributed to the highest oxygen vacancy content and the fastest oxygen diffusion kinetics. The hybrid supercapacitor SrCo0.95 Ta0.05 O3-δ @CC//AC@CC exhibits a high energy density of 22.82 Wh kg-1 @775.09 W kg-1 and a stable long-term cycle life (5000 cycles) with 90.7 % capacity retention. As temperature increases from 25 to 85 °C, the capacitance properties are improved at elevated temperatures for both electrode and device due to the increased electrolyte conductivity. The outstanding electrochemical results present that SrCo1-x Tax O3-δ perovskite holds good prospects for hybrid supercapacitors with wide temperature tolerance.

Material design using calculation phase diagram for refractory high‐entropy ceramic matrix composites

AbstractTo achieve Si‐free refractory ceramic matrix composites exposed to an oxidizing atmosphere at approximately 2000°C, a Ti–Zr–Mo ternary alloy melt‐infiltration (MI) method was developed for the production of carbon fiber‐reinforced refractory high‐entropy ceramic matrix composites (C/RHECs), with high‐entropy carbides serving as the matrix. This approach was designed using calculation phase diagrams (CALPHADs) and the calculation of thermodynamic parameters. The combination of CALPHAD and the calculation of alloy and carbon reactivity enabled the prediction of reaction and infiltration behavior into a preform comprising carbon fiber, carbon black, and transition metal carbide powders. Furthermore, C/RHECs featuring a (Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Nb, Mo)C matrix were experimentally fabricated through the Ti–Zr–Mo alloy MI method in accordance with the design. The arc‐wind tunnel tests on the C/RHECs conducted at approximately 2000°C revealed surfaces covered with complex oxides. The apparent oxidation rate of the C/RHECs was similar to that of Si‐containing ceramics and composites. These results indicate that complex oxides act as a barrier to oxygen diffusion toward unoxidized regions, making Si no longer essential for protecting materials from oxidation above 2000°C.

Molecular Engineering Enables Multi‐Color Room Temperature Phosphorescence of Carbon Dots Composites Derived In Situ, Facilitating their Utilization for Advanced Information Encryption

AbstractLong‐life room temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials hold significant potential in the fields of optoelectronic devices, information encryption, and bio‐imaging due to their excellent optical properties. However, achieving multi‐color tunable RTP materials has proven challenging. In this study, molecular engineering strategies are employed to select precursor molecules with varying degrees of conjugation such as phthalic anhydride (PA), naphtho[2,3‐c] furan‐1,3‐dione (23NA), and naphthalic anhydride (NA). By combining these guest molecules with a host boric acid matrix through a one‐step microwave method, carbon dots (CDs)composites (PA@BA, 23NA@BA and NA@BA) exhibiting excellent RTP properties are successfully prepared. As the degree of precursor conjugation increased gradually, the phosphorescence color modulation of the composites demonstrates satisfactory transitions from blue to yellow. Notably, CDs are derived in situ within the boric acid matrix while covalent and hydrogen bonds formed between CDs and borate matrix effectively suppress nonradiative leaps and facilitate composite RTP activation. Furthermore, the boric acid matrix acts as insulation against oxygen diffusion and prevents quenching of triplet excitons by external factors. The rationality behind phosphorescence emission mechanism and wavelength modulation is further conformed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Finally, CDs composites are successfully applied for advanced message encryption of text and images.

Post-quench ductility limits of coated ATF with various zirconium-based alloys and coating designs

Post Quench Ductility (PQD) of various Cr-coated cladding designs with respect to base cladding materials, Cr coating methods, and its thickness were investigated to explore Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) limits. Both inner wall and outer wall of coated (Cr and Cr/CrN) claddings were steam oxidized at ∼1204 °C and then water quenched. The post-oxidized specimens were ring compressed to attain offset strains based on which ductility was assessed in compliance with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (U.S. NRC)’s protocols. Weight gain-based Equivalent Cladding Reacted (ECR) limits of coated specimens (Cr and Cr/CrN) are consistently lower than those of the base cladding materials due to the early load drop under Ring Compression Test (RCT). Yet, time needed to reach the ECR limit is still increased for coated specimens because it effectively undergoes single side oxidation with protective coating. Cracks imitated from ZrCr2 are primarily responsible for the early major load drop observed for tested coating thicknesses (8.9 µm and 18.9 µm), and hence reduced ECR limits compared to bare Zircaloy. The cracks from ZrCr2 was promoted by an increased oxygen concentration of the interfacing Zr matrix owing to the diffusion of oxygen through the coating. The thicker coating reduces this oxygen level, thereby delaying the load drop from ZrCr2 during RCT and increases the ECR limit. The maximum attainable ECR limit of coated ECR limits is affected by the base Zircaloy as it gives as the ECR ceiling from which ECR reduction for coated cladding occurs. For the tested base cladding materials (Opt. ZIRLO™ and HANA-6), ECR 19 %, which is the limit for Cr-coated (8.9 µm) HANA-6, may serve as the lower envelope limit. Hence, ECR 19 % (single-side ECR) can conservatively serve as the conservative, yet non-design specific, Cr-coated ECR limit for the most of the modern base Zircaloy materials (Opt. ZIRLO™ and HANA-6).

Effect of thermal shock on ZnO/Ag/ZnO nano-multilayers: Photoelectric property degradation

We investigated the degeneration at photoelectric properties of typical multilayer transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs) of ZnO/Ag/ZnO under thermal shock by experiments and simulation. The experimental data indicated a reduction in the visible region transparency and an increase in sheet resistance for ZnO/Ag/ZnO after undergoing thermal cyclic shock. This resulted in a significant decrease in the Haacke figure of merit (FOM) from 30.7 × 10-3 Ω−1 to 7.8 × 10-3 Ω−1. We identified oxygen diffusion into Ag at the ZnO/Ag interface using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Concurrently, density functional theory (DFT) simulations showed that interstitial oxygen creates impurity charge centers within Ag, indirectly causing the deterioration of the photoelectric properties of ZnO/Ag/ZnO. This finding highlights the challenge of maintaining optoelectronic stability in TCO/metal/TCO (OMO) thin films for practical applications and provides both experimental and theoretical support for designing highly reliable optoelectronic devices.

Oxygen diffusion in biochar-based mixtures as plant growth media: Experimental and modelling.

A large amount of agricultural waste is produced annually. Producing biochar is an excellent solution for waste management, resource recovery, emission reduction, energy production, reduction in transportation and enhancing carbon sequestration. This study was done to investigate the aeration status of biochar-based growth media as compared with the commercial soilless medium of cocopeat-perlite. Biochars from oven-dried residues were produced by slow pyrolysis at 300 (B300) and 500°C (B500) with a rate of 2°C min-1 and using a continuous inflow of nitrogen. Sawdust (Sd), wheat straw (WS), rice hull (Rh), palm bunches (Plm) and sugarcane bagasse (SC), their biochars, vermiculite (V) and zeolite (Z) were used to prepare 13 mixed growth media. Oxygen diffusion coefficient (Dp) of media was measured at six matric potentials (h) of -5, -10, -15, -20, -40 and -60 hPa. Troeh et al. (1982) model was fitted to Dp/D0 versus air-filled porosity (AFP) data. Although AFP was more than 0.1 m3 m-3 for some media, the Dp/D0 was very low. Considering optimum Dp/D0 (i.e. 0.010-0.015) for growth substrates at h = -8 hPa, aeration status of four media (cocopeat-perlite, Rh-SCB300-Z, Sd-SCB300-Z and WSB500-Rh-V) was optimum. Highest Dp/D0 at h = -8 hPa was observed for Rh-SCB300-Z. The AFP at h = -10 hPa was highest for Rh-SCB300-Z, cocopeat-perlite and WSB500-Rh-V. Biochar-based media with good aeration status and water retention can be a suitable substitute for commercial soilless culture in greenhouse production. Overall, WSB500-Rh-V is a suitable substitute for cocopeat-perlite.

Numerical investigation on pyrolysis and ignition of ammonia/coal blends during co-firing

Co-firing ammonia with coal is a promising and feasible technology for reducing coal-related carbon emissions. Pyrolysis and ignition of ammonia-coal blended fuels are the key steps for flame stability and boiler operation safety throughout the conversion process but remain unclear. In this work, an extended Euler–Lagrange framework coupled to detailed solid-phase pyrolysis kinetics and gas-phase reactions mechanism is introduced and validated against experimental results for ammonia-coal co-firing in a two-stage flat flame burner. First, the CRECK-S coal pyrolysis model was validated with TGA experiments and the CPD model at different heating rates to determine parameters for a competing two-step model for CFD simulations. Second, a detailed gas-phase mechanism with 116 species and 1513 elementary reactions was derived from the volatile and ammonia reaction mechanisms. Thirdly, the co-firing simulations were validated for the ignition delay time for various ammonia co-firing ratios. The results show that increasing the co-firing ratios from 0.0 to 1.0 results in gradually increasing ignition delay times in a low-oxygen atmosphere. Further analysis demonstrates that adding ammonia accelerates the coal particle heating rate due to the reduced coal particle number density and ammonia reaction induced gas-phase temperature increase, and thus the coal devolatilization rate is increased. The latter plays a dominant role. Hydrogen produced from ammonia pyrolysis is negligible, so ammonia predominantly participates in the ignition. Time scale analysis shows that homogeneous ignition is dominant during the ignition process. The presence of ammonia inhibits the inward oxygen diffusion and causes the reaction zone to move away from the pulverized coal particle flow. The oxygen diffusion inhibition and low reactivity of ammonia compared to volatiles lead to an increase in ignition delay time for ammonia co-firing, even though pulverized coal devolatilization is accelerated.

Hematite (α-Fe2O3) with Oxygen Defects: The Effect of Heating Rate for Photocatalytic Performance.

Hematite (α-Fe2O3) emerges as an enticing material for visible-light-driven photocatalysis owing to its remarkable stability, low toxicity, and abundance. However, its inherent shortcomings, such as a short hole diffusion length and high recombination rate, hinder its practical application. Recently, oxygen vacancies (Vo) within hematite have been demonstrated to modulate its photocatalytic attributes. The effects of Vo can be broadly categorized into two opposing aspects: (1) acting as electron donors, enhancing carrier conductivity, and improving photocatalytic performance and (2) acting as surface carrier traps, accelerating excited carrier recombination, and deteriorating performance. Critically, the generation rate, distribution, role, and behavior of Vo significantly differ for synthesis methods due to differences in formation mechanisms and oxygen diffusion. This complexity hampers simplified discussions of Vo, necessitating careful investigation and nuanced discussion tailored to the specific method and conditions employed. Among various approaches, hydrothermal synthesis offers a simple and cost-effective route. Here, we demonstrate a hydrothermal synthesis method for Vo introduction to hematite using a carbon source, where variations in the heating rate have not been previously explored in terms of their influence on Vo generation. The analyses revealed that the concentration of Vo was maximized at a heating rate of 16 °C/min, indicative of a high density of surface defects. With regard to photocatalytic performance, elevated heating rates (16 °C/min) fostered the formation of Vo primarily on the hematite surface. The photocatalytic activity was 7.1 times greater than that of the sample prepared at a low heating rate (2 °C/min). These findings highlight the crucial role of surface defects, as opposed to bulk defects, in promoting hematite photocatalysis. Furthermore, the facile control over Vo concentration achievable via manipulating the heating rate underscores the promising potential of this approach for optimizing hematite photocatalysts.

Freeze Drying of Organically Modified Layered Silicates as Key Step to Improve the Barrier Properties of Organic Coatings for High Power Electronics Protection

AbstractOrganically modified layered silicates can be used as barrier pigments in organic coating systems to reduce the permeation of water vapor and gases, e.g., oxygen as well as harmful gases that promote corrosion. Unmodified layered silicates are not sufficient to reduce the permeation significantly. However, the arrangement and orientation of the particles have an enormous impact on the later performance in the barrier film. In organic solvents or non‐aqueous polymer matrices the non‐modified layered silicates cannot exfoliate adequately. The organic modification influences the layer spacing and the compatibility to organic solvents. Layered silicates are modified with dodecylamine to enhance the spacing layer. The spacing layer is enhanced by 55% caused by the organic modification as it is commonly known. In contrast to previous work freeze drying of the organically modified layered silicates improved the particle distribution and by this barrier properties significantly. The modified particles reduce the diffusion of water and oxygen by ≈99.6% and 97.2%, respectively. The corrosive gas test of electronic circuit boards shows no growth of dendrites and no failure of the electronics in contrast to protective coating without the layered silicates.

Modeling the oxidation process of TiAl and Ti<sub>3</sub> Al intermetallic compounds due to grain-boundary diffusion of oxygen

A diffusion-kinetic model was proposed to analyze the oxidation process in a nanostructured material with explicit identification of grain boundaries. It was assumed that oxygen migrates faster along the boundaries than it does in the grain volume. The model takes into account the stages of decomposition and formation of intermetallic compounds, as well as the formation of oxides, both within the boundaries and in the grain volume. The problem was solved numerically, and the oxidation dynamics were compared for various materials with different grain properties.

Comprehensive Molecular Dynamics Study of Oxygen Diffusion in Carbon Mesopores: Insights for Designing Fuel-Cell Catalyst Supports.

Mesoporous carbon is often used as a support for platinum catalysts in polymer electrolyte fuel-cell catalyst layers. Mesopores in the carbon support improve the performance of fuel cells by inhibiting the adsorption of ionomer onto the catalyst particles. However, the mesopores may impair mass transport. Hence, understanding molecular behaviors in the pores is essential to optimizing the mesopore structures. Specifically, it is crucial to understand the oxygen transport in the high-current region. In this study, the diffusion coefficients of oxygen molecules in carbon mesopores were calculated for various pore lengths, pore diameters, filling rates, and water contents in the ionomer via molecular dynamics simulations. The results show that oxygen diffusion slows by 2 orders of magnitude because of pore occlusion, and it slows down by an additional 1 or 2 orders of magnitude if ionomers are present in the pores. The occlusion can be theoretically predicted by considering the surface free energy. This theory provides some insight into mesoporous carbon designs; for instance, the theory suggests that narrow pores should be shortened to prevent occlusion. Slow diffusion in the presence of ionomers was attributed to the localization of oxygen at the dense ionomer-carbon interface. Thus, to improve oxygen transport properties, carbon surfaces and ionomer structures may be designed in such a manner as to prevent densification at the interface.

Oxygen Extraction Efficiency and Tolerance to Hypoxia in Sponges

Sponges have always been filter feeders, in contrast to all the other filter-feeding invertebrate groups for which this feeding mode is a secondary adaptation. This study calls attention to this aspect, which explains why sponges are tolerant to hypoxia, but probably not more tolerant than the other filter-feeding invertebrates. The measurement of respiration rates at decreasing oxygen concentrations along with an estimation of the oxygen extraction efficiency in the marine demosponge Halichondria panicea have been used to understand why sponges are tolerant to low oxygen concentrations. It was found that the respiration rate was constant down to about 1.5 mL O2 L−1, which shows that the extraction efficiency increases with a decreasing oxygen concentration. It is argued that the relationship between the filtration rate and oxygen consumption in filter feeders is controlled by the resistance to the diffusion of oxygen across the boundary layer between the feeding current and the tissues of the body. A high tolerance to hypoxia is a consequence of the adaptation to filter feeding, and sponges do not have a special capacity to overcome hypoxic events.

Ta/Nb doping motivating cubic phase stability and CO2 tolerance of Sr2Co1.6Fe0.4O6-δ double perovskite for high-performing SOFC cathode

Developing cathodes that are both phase-stable and tolerant to carbon dioxide (CO2) is a crucial and challenging task for solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operating at reduced temperatures. The activity of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in SOFC cathodes is typically influenced by factors such as geometric features and oxygen vacancies. In this study, new and robust cathodes for SOFCs, Sr2Co1.5Fe0.4Ta0.1O5+δ (SCFT) and Sr2Co1.5Fe0.4Nb0.1O5+δ (SCFN) are developed by doping a small amount of niobium (Nb) and tantalum (Ta) into Sr2Co1.6Fe0.4O5+δ (SCF) using a simple solid-state reaction technique. The effects of Nb/Ta doping on the crystal structure, oxygen vacancies, electrical conductivity, and electrochemical properties of SCFT and SCFN are investigated. The results reveal that these materials possess a fully cubic structure in the Fm-3m space group, with improved oxygen vacancy and electrical conductivity. They also exhibit good chemical compatibility with electrolytes at 1100 °C for 8 h and remain thermally stable when exposed to air and CO2 at 700 °C, without any additional phase formation. The area-specific resistance (ASR) of the SCFT cathode is found to be only 0.06 Ω cm2, whereas the SCFN cathode has an ASR of 0.10 Ω cm2. The superior performance of SCFT can be attributed to the higher oxygen vacancy, which enhances oxygen surface exchange kinetics and diffusivity compared to SCFN. When tested in a single cell using humidified H2 as the fuel and ambient air as the oxidant, the SCFT cathode achieves a power density of 656 mW cm−2 at 700 °C, while the SCFN cathode reaches 559 mW cm−2, indicating the potential of SCFT as a promising cathode material for SOFCs. The excellent performance of these materials can be attributed to their mixed electronic-ionic conduction properties, unique structural features, and high observed oxygen vacancy, which contribute to their remarkable electronic conductivity and significant ionic mobility.

Study on high-temperature oxidation of TiZrHfNbTaV high-entropy alloy

The elemental effects and oxide layer evolutions of high-entropy alloys during oxidation have remained largely unclear. The high-temperature oxidation of equimolar refractory high-entropy alloy TiZrHfNbTaV in the air at 800–1000 °C for 1 h was investigated in terms of the oxide layer microstructure and formation mechanism. The non-dense oxides formed on the alloy surface at 800–1000 °C mainly contain TiNb2O7, providing favorable oxygen diffusion conditions. The growth of the oxide layer is influenced by the oxidation temperatures, free energy of oxides, and elemental segregation. The findings offer fundamental insights into the oxidation mechanism of the refractory high-entropy alloys.

LiOH Decomposition by NiO/ZrO2 in Li-Air Battery: Chemical Imaging with Operando Synchrotron Diffraction and Correlative Neutron/X-Ray Computed-Tomography Analysis.

Li-air batteries attract significant attention due to their highest theoretical energy density among all existing energy storage technologies. Currently, challenges related to extending lifetime and long-term stability limit their practical application. To overcome these issues and enhance the total capacity of Li-air batteries, this study introduces an innovative approach with NiO/ZrO2 catalysts. Operando advanced chemical imaging with micrometer spatial resolution unveils that NiO/ZrO2 catalysts substantially change the kinetics of crystalline lithium hydroxide (LiOH) formation and facilitate its rapid decomposition with heterogeneous distribution. Moreover, ex situ combined neutron and X-ray computed tomography (CT) analysis, provide evidence of distinct lithium phases homogeneously distributed in the presence of NiO/ZrO2. These findings underscore the material's superior physico-chemical and electronic properties, with more efficient oxygen diffusion and indications of lower obstruction to its active sites, avoiding clogging in the active electrode, a common cause of capacity loss. Electrochemical tests conducted at high current density demonstrated a significant kinetic enhancement of the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions, resulting in improved charge and discharge processes with low overpotential. This pioneering approach using NiO/ZrO2 catalysts represents a step toward on developing the full potential of Li-air batteries as high-energy-density energy storage systems.

Design aspects of a CMC coating-like system for hot surfaces of aero engine components

Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) is an emerging material system that can be a game changer in the aerospace industry, both civil and military. CMCs components are, in fact, lighter and less prone to fatigue failure in a high temperature environment. However, at high temperatures, the diffusion of oxygen and water vapour inside the CMC can have detrimental effects. Therefore, the presence of protective coating is necessary to extend the life of CMC components. In the present work, a three-layers coating, consisting of a silicon bond (BND), adhesively bonded to the CMC, an Environment Barrier Coating (EBC) and a softer layer 3 (LAY3), is investigated for a CMC component. An aero-engine high pressure turbine seal segment was considered. Two design aspects are covered: (i) creep law is determined and calibrated in environment Abaqus from the experimental data of each coating layer available in the open literature, to provide a suitable instrument for the creep relaxation analyses of hot components; (ii) thickness sensitivity study of each layer of the coating is conducted to minimise the interface stresses of coating with substrate in order to mitigate cracking and removal/spalling phenomena when exposed to temperature gradients and to increase their service life. These two different aspects are combined together to predict the coating stress field as a function of service time.

Laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing of molybdenum using a nitrogen build atmosphere

A method was developed to suppress the crack formation during laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of molybdenum (Mo). The method uses a nitrogen (N2) atmosphere to fabricate crack-free samples without any additional processing. To compare with the effect of the N2 atmosphere, samples were prepared under an argon (Ar) atmosphere as well with the same process parameters. The microstructure analyses by optical and high-resolution electron microscopy revealed that crack-free samples were produced under this condition, whereas grain boundary cracks were observed throughout the sample fabricated in Ar atmosphere. To understand the mechanism of crack prevention by nitrogen (N), the energetics of solute components in the BCC-Mo structure were studied by Density Functional Theory (DFT). The theoretical calculations showed that the introduction of N into the BCC-Mo hinders oxygen (O) diffusion, causing O entrapment in the lattice at interstitial positions. As a result, reduced oxides within grains and at grain boundaries (GB) were observed. The results are consistent with the experimental observation made from the fracture surface investigation. The reduced embrittlement of GB from the reduced GB oxide formation is believed to suppress GB cracking.

Structure optimisation of cathode parallel polar plate PEMFC based on topology optimisation

Polar plate design can directly affect the performance of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC). A novel topology parallel polar plate design is proposed to improve cell performance. We used the sparse nonlinear optimisation (SNOPT) algorithm to freely evolve the 2D model and obtain the output material factor distribution map. While keeping the height of the gas diffusion layer constant, the channel height is stretched proportionally to the output material factor to obtain 3D models. By analyzing the mass transfer, water management, and cell performance, the results indicate that increasing the selection range of material output factors is beneficial for the diffusion of reactive gases, reducing pressure loss, and improving cell performance. Reducing the selection range of material output factors helps increase the reaction gas flow rate and enhancing drainage performance. The optimisation model with lower limits benefits oxygen diffusion, increasing gas flow rate and pressure loss, and has little impact on drainage. Case 6 performs well in mass transfer and drainage performance, and the pressure loss is relatively small. The quantitative evaluation shows that Case 6 has an improvement of 22.2% compared to the parallel polar plate and 26.5% compared to the serpentine polar plate in cell efficiency.

High resistivity under colossal permittivity SrTiO3 based ceramic via controlling ion diffusion

High-performance Sr0.99La0.01TiO3 ceramics were synthesized using a conventional solid-phase method, and Sr0.99La0.01TiO3 percolated (SLT10-P) samples with excellent resistivity were obtained by coating with an oxidant and heat treatment. In this work, simultaneous excellent dielectric properties (16667 of dielectric permittivity, 0.016 of loss tangent at 1 kHz) and high resistivity (1.44 × 1011 Ω·cm at DC100V) was achieved in SLT10-P ceramics at room temperature by modulating the duration of thermal treatment. X-ray Diffraction and scanning electron microscope analyses proved the diffusion of the oxidant in the grains and grain boundaries during the heat treatment. The increase in grain boundary resistance is mainly due to the fact that the insulating layer formed by the oxide ions entering the grain boundary hinders the long-range movement of electrons. In addition, the diffusion of oxygen from the air into the ceramic during the heat treatment process also contributes to the insulation of grain boundaries.