Lifetime Extension Research Articles

The “nature” and “nurture” of product lifetimes in dynamic stock modeling

AbstractProduct life extension is often portrayed as one of the pillars of the circular economy since longer lifetimes slow down material turnover rates and thus decrease resource use and associated emissions. Strategies for product longevity can involve addressing the product “nature” (inherent product durability) or “nurture” (external factors). Yet, in most dynamic material flow analysis (dMFA) studies, lifetime is an intrinsic property of the cohort assigned “at birth,” so “nurture” strategies such as repair or reuse cannot be explicitly considered. Here, we introduce a Python‐based tool for comprehensive modeling of lifetime changes in dMFA, including three dimensions of lifetime: age, period (time), and cohort. The tool employs the hazard function, which directly links the outflow to the preceding year's stock, allowing for differentiating the influence of product nature and nurture on lifetimes. The tool supports dynamic stock and flow calculations and is compatible with ODYM, a commonly used dMFA framework. We apply the tool to a case study on dishwashers in Norway to illustrate nature‐ and nurture‐focused lifetime extension strategies. The framework enables linking product lifespans with events such as economic crises and pandemics. It can serve to model life extension scenarios in dMFA that (i) extend the lifetime not only of the new products entering use but also of the products already in use, thus achieving faster effects; and (ii) expand the group of potential stakeholders beyond producers and designers to, for example, consumers, repairers, and resellers. This article met the requirements for a gold‐gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges.

Low temperature exciton lifetime enhancement of MAPbBr3 studied by broadband terahertz spectroscopy

Over the past few years, lead halide perovskites have demonstrated significant potential in the field of solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and field-effect transistors. We investigated the transient photoconductivity and temperature-induced phase transitions in MAPbBr3 thin films, using ultrabroadband optical pump-terahertz probe spectroscopy with varying excitation fluences and temperature conditions. As the temperature drops from 293 to 123 K, MAPbBr3 undergoes two phase transitions, resulting in a significant extension of exciton lifetime in the tetragonal phase near 150 K, where MAPbBr3 exhibits a longer exciton lifetime. Our research contributes to a better understanding of the temperature-induced phase transition mechanism of MAPbBr3, enhancing its potential applications in optoelectronic devices.

Fe incorporation and modulation of oxygen vacancies in ZnO nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B

In this study, self-assembled ultrafine nanoclusters of Fe2O3 supported with defective Fe-doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) prepared via calcination of a Fe/Zn precursor in the presence of deep eutectic solvents (DES) complex. During the calcination process, surface defects are generated through the decomposition of Fe/Zn precursor with DES complex, simultaneously crystallinity of catalysts improved. The hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO NPs is retained after the incorporation of Fe atoms into the ZnO crystal lattice. Notably, the particle size is reduced from 32 to 22 nm after Fe incorporation due to alterations in the nucleation center in the ionic solvent. Electron paramagnetic resonance analysis reveals a broad peak at a g value of 2.0, attributed to Fe3+ atoms doped into ZnO matrix. These doped Fe3+ atoms create additional active sites on the surface of NPs, leading to an extended photoluminescence lifetime of the Fe2O3/ZnO nanocomposite. Consequently, the optimized Vo-Fe/ZnO nanocomposite achieves a 95 % removal efficiency for Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation with a rate constant (k) of 0.0755 min−1. Additionally, nanocomposite shows visible light photo-Fenton activity for RhB degradation with k of 0.0069 min−1.

Near-Free Lifetime Extension for 3-D nand Flash via Opportunistic Self-Healing

Near-Free Lifetime Extension for 3-D nand Flash via Opportunistic Self-Healing

Tradeoffs and synergy between material cycles and greenhouse gas emissions: Opportunities in a rapidly growing housing stock

AbstractManagement of building materials’ stocks and flows is a major opportunity for circularity and de‐carbonization. We examine the relationship between material consumption and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under different scenarios in Israel, a developed country with an already high population density that expects tremendous growth in its housing stock by 2050. We created scenarios of varying housing unit sizes and additional material efficiency practices: fabrication yield, lifetime extension, material substitution, recycling, and their combination, resulting in 18 scenarios. In each scenario, the material flows and stocks needed to supply the housing demand and the resulting life‐cycle GHG emissions are quantified. No single material efficiency practice achieves a reduction in all indicators, suggesting a potential conflict between circular economy and decarbonization policies: The material substitution scenario allows for the biggest reduction in material consumption (12%–40% concrete reduction and 15%–51% steel reduction in 2050 compared with the baseline), while the recycling scenario achieves the biggest reduction in GHG emissions (22%–43% reduction in 2050 compared with the baseline). In the long‐term, the life‐extension scenario reduces most demolition waste. These findings can help policymakers and stakeholders consider the impacts of raw materials consumption and implement this knowledge in light of their priorities in policy packages. The results suggest a narrow window of opportunity within the next decade to influence material consumption and emissions to 2050. The findings could also shed light on the sustainability trajectories of other countries with similarly rapidly developing building stock, which have received little attention in this field.

Robust Plasma-Assisted Growth of 2D Janus Transition Metal Dichalcogenides and Their Enhanced Photoluminescent Properties.

Janus transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are a novel class of 2D materials with unique mirror asymmetry. Plasma-assisted synthesis at room temperature is favored for producing Janus TMDs due to its energy efficiency and prevention of alloying. However, current methods require stringent control over growth conditions, risking defects or unintended materials. A robust plasma-assisted (RPA) synthesis strategy is introduced, incorporating a built-in tube with a suitable inner diameter into the plasma-assisted system. This innovation creates a mild, uniform plasma atmosphere, allowing for broader variations in growth parameters without significantly affecting Janus MoSSe's morphology and characteristics. This approach simplifies the synthesis process and enhances the success rate of Janus TMD production. Additionally, methods are explored to enhance the photoluminescence (PL) of Janus MoSSe. Releasing MoSSe from the growth substrate and annealing it removes strain and unintentional doping, improving PL performance. MoSSe on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) flakes after annealing shows a 32-fold increase in PL intensity. Bis(trifluoromethane) sulfonimide (TFSI) treatment of MoSSe results in a remarkable 70-fold increase in PL intensity, a 2.5-fold extension in exciton lifetime, and quantum yield (QY) reaching up to ≈31.2%. These findings provide critical insights for optimizing the luminescence properties of 2D Janus materials, advancing Janus optoelectronics.

Two-dimensional Fullerene-Based Ferroelectric Materials: Assembly and Effects on Charge Carrier Lifetime.

Manipulating the symmetry of fullerene-based low-dimensional materials is crucial to the development of electronic devices and modern nonvolatile memories. However, there have been few reports on studying the physicochemical properties of fullerene and its derivatives by controlling the symmetries. Herein, we demonstrate ferroelectricity in Sc3N@Ih-C80-Pd/Pt adducts with relatively strong spontaneous polarization. Polarization originates from subtle molecular interactions between Sc3N@Ih-C80 and Pd/Pt atoms, breaking the structural symmetry. Additionally, we investigate how a temperature-dependent polar-nonpolar phase transition affects the corresponding nonadiabatic electron-hole recombination process in the ferroelectric fullerene adduct Sc3N@Ih-C80-Pd. The results indicate that polarization has a greater impact than temperature effects, resulting in an extension of the carrier lifetime in the polar phase by over 3 times compared to that in the nonpolar phase. Our findings unveil new members of the ferroelectric fullerene family and provide guidance for improving the performance of optoelectronic materials.

Customizing Aniline-Derived Molecular Structures to Attain beyond 22 % Efficient Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells.

The characteristics of the soft component and the ionic-electronic nature in all-inorganic CsPbI3-xBrx perovskite typically lead to a significant number of halide vacancy defects and ions migration, resulting in a reduction in both photovoltaic efficiency and stability. Herein, we present a tailored approach in which both anion-fixation and undercoordinated-Pb passivation are achieved in situ during crystallization by employing a molecule derived from aniline, specifically 2-methoxy-5-trifluoromethylaniline (MFA), to address the above challenges. The incorporation of MFA into the perovskite film results in a pronounced inhibition of ion migration, a significant reduction in trap density, an enhancement in grain size, an extension of charge carrier lifetime, and a more favorable alignment of energy levels. These advantageous characteristics contribute to achieving a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.14 % for the MFA-based CsPbI3-xBrx perovskite solar cells (PSCs), representing the highest efficiency reported thus far for this type of inorganic metal halide perovskite solar cells, to the best of our knowledge. Moreover, the resultant PSCs exhibits higher environmental stability and photostability. This strategy is anticipated to offer significant advantages for large-area fabrication, particularly in terms of simplicity.

PV-fed multi-output buck converter-based renewable energy storage system with extended current control for lifetime extension of Li-ion batteries

Recently, there has been a visible intensification of research on increasing the cycle life of energy storage devices used in Photovoltaic (PV)-fed energy storage systems (ESS). Compared to existing battery technologies, Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have advantages such as high energy density and high cycle life. However, many existing Hybrid energy storage system (HESS) suffers from the fact that Li-ion batteries have limited cycle life, calendar and cycle aging. Therefore, attention has shifted towards the charging techniques necessary to improve the service life of Li-ion batteries by increasing their cycle life and reducing capacity losses. One such approach is to charge the battery by gradually increasing it from a certain level, rather than starting the charging process directly with the maximum charging current. This study proposes Extended Current Control (ECC) to reduce battery capacity losses and extend service life in PV-fed HESSs. The maximum power point (MPP) of the PV module is provided by the Perturb and observe (P&O) algorithm via the supercapacitor (SC) converter, while ECC is performed via the battery converter. This approach requires less hardware, unlike optimization, rule, or filtering based techniques. Controlling the battery current over a large area protects the battery packs from high currents at the start of charge and reduces capacity losses by increasing cycle life. Compared to PV-fed ESS containing only battery packs, the proposed technique provides a 40 % improvement in battery charging current, an 8 % improvement in the converter duty ratio in reaching the MPP point, and a 31.69 % improvement in battery capacity fades.

Comprehensive study of the effect of Hf and Ta co-doped MCrAlY bond coat on the high-temperature properties of thermal barrier coating

The MCrAlY bond coat is modified by reactive element (RE) Hf and refractory element Ta, and the high-temperature oxidation resistance of the thermal barrier coating (TBC) before and after the modification are investigated by comparative experiments. The experiments use high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) to prepare NiCoCrAlY and NiCoCrAlYHfTa bond coats on the surface of GH4099 high-temperature alloy, and then yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ) ceramic layers are prepared on the surface of the bond coat by atmospheric plasma spraying (APS), and cyclic oxidation is carried out in air at 1050 °C until failure. It is shown that the oxidation lifetime of the modified TBC reached 1992 h, which is one time higher than that of the unmodified TBC. The doping of Hf and Ta elements reduces the growth rate of the oxide layer, and these diffuse externally and combine with the internally diffused O to form HfO2 and Ta2O5 in the thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer, thereby improving the adhesion and mechanical properties of the oxide layer. In addition, the bond strength and thermal shock resistance of the TBCs are significantly improved after doping with Hf and Ta elements, which prolongs the lifetimes of the TBCs. In this paper, the morphology, structure, and properties of the modified TBCs are characterized to investigate the mechanism of the oxidation lifetime extension.

The effect of repair and lifetime extension on the environmental performance of energy-using products. Application to electric water kettles

This study evaluates the environmental impacts of extending the lifetime of electric kettles through repair strategies by means of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. A total of 2640 scenarios were analysed, each considering six variables: material composition, usage intensity, year of failure, failure management, lifetime extension, and end-of-life (EoL) management. The results demonstrate that extending kettle lifetimes through repair can reduce the total environmental impact by up to 35 %, particularly in scenarios where low-energy use is combined with maximum lifetime extension. The use phase contributed the most to the environmental impact, accounting for 48–64 % of the total in most scenarios, driven primarily by energy consumption during kettle operation. In contrast, material composition and EoL management had a smaller effect, representing only 5–10 % of the impact. Repairs focused on lime descaling were the most effective, reducing the environmental burden by up to 20 %, while repairs involving component replacement were less impactful in this regard. These findings underscore the potential of repair strategies to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of household appliances. Policymakers should prioritise repairability in product design and promote consumer awareness to extend product lifetimes and achieve lower environmental impacts.

200-Fold Lifetime Extension of 2,6- Dihydroxyanthraquinone Electrolyte during Flow Battery Operation.

We study the capacity fade rate of a flow battery utilizing 2,6-dihydroxyanthraquinone (DHAQ) and its dependence on hydroxide concentration, state of charge, cutoff voltages for the discharge step and for the electrochemical regeneration (oxidation of decomposition compounds back to active species) step, and the period of performing the electrochemical regeneration events. Our observations confirm that the first decomposition product, 2,6-dihydroxyanthrone (DHA), is stable, but after electro-oxidative dimerization, the anthrone dimer decomposes. We identify conditions for which there is little time after dimerization until the dimer is rapidly reoxidized electrochemically to form DHAQ. Combining these approaches, we decrease the fade rate to 0.02%/day, which is 18 times lower than the lowest rate reported previously of 0.38%/day, and over 200 times lower than the value under standard cycling conditions of 4.3%/day. The findings and their mechanistic interpretation are expected to extend the lifetime and enhance the effectiveness of in situ electrochemical regeneration for other electroactive species with finite lifetimes.

Calculation Analysis of VVER‑1000 RCCA Elements to Justify Lifetime Extension

Calculation Analysis of VVER‑1000 RCCA Elements to Justify Lifetime Extension

Exploiting the Potential of Iridium(III) bis-Nitrone Complexes as Phosphorogenic Bifunctional Reagents for Phototheranostics.

Cross-linking strategies have found wide applications in chemical biology, enabling the labeling of biomolecules and monitoring of protein-protein interactions. Nitrone exhibits remarkable versatility and applicability in bioorthogonal labeling due to its high reactivity with strained alkynes via the strain-promoted alkyne-nitrone cycloaddition (SPANC) reaction. In this work, four cyclometalated iridium(III) polypyridine complexes functionalized with two nitrone units were designed as novel phosphorogenic bioorthogonal reagents for bioimaging and phototherapeutics. The complexes showed efficient emission quenching, which is attributed to an efficient nonradiative decay pathway via the low-lying T1/S0 minimum energy crossing point (MECP), as revealed by computational studies. However, the complexes displayed significant emission enhancement and lifetime extension upon reaction with (1R,8S,9s)-bicyclo[6.1.0]non-4-yne (BCN) derivatives. In particular, they showed a remarkably higher reaction rate toward a bis-cyclooctyne derivative (bis-BCN) compared with its monomeric counterpart (mono-BCN). Live-cell imaging and (photo)cytotoxicity studies revealed higher photocytotoxicity in bis-BCN-pretreated cells, which is ascribed to the enhanced singlet oxygen (1O2) photosensitization resulting from the elimination of the nitrone-associated quenching pathway. Importantly, the cross-linking properties and enhanced reactivity of the complexes make them highly promising candidates for the development of hydrogels and stapled/cyclized peptides, offering intriguing photophysical, photochemical, and biological properties. Notably, a nanosized hydrogel (2-gel) demonstrated potential as a drug delivery system, while a stapled peptide (2-bis-pDIKK) exhibited p53-Mdm2 inhibitory activity related to apoptosis and a cyclized peptide (2-bis-RGD) showed cancer selectivity.

Robotic Technology Enables Automated Nondestructive Weld Inspection in Subsea Zone

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 215588, “Automated Nondestructive Weld Inspection in Splash/Subsea Zone,” by Karsten Husby, Magnus Bjerkeng, and Jens T. Thieleman, SINTEF, et al. The paper has not been peer reviewed. _ Jacket structures all over the world are now reaching the limit of their estimated service life, but new discoveries and improved production methods require lifetime extension of the assets. The complete paper presents an automated underwater robot and a nondestructive testing (NDT) eddy-current probe for alternating-current field-measurement analysis of jacket main welds. This robot makes integrity testing, which often is required for lifetime extensions, possible. Introduction Jacket lifetime calculations are based on long service intervals. Some welded braces in the splash zone often are considered unserviceable because of the hostile environment. Thus, divers or remotely operated vehicles cannot be used under normal weather conditions and wave heights. Structural integrity is ensured with long service intervals, often long enough for the lifetime of the jacket. However, multiple jacket platforms are approaching their certified lifespan limit. The question, then, is whether they should be decommissioned, reused, or have their lifespan extended. New discoveries and improved production methods make extended operation desirable for certain fields. For other platforms, repurposing for offshore wind, aquaculture, or geothermal energy may be a cost-effective alternative. Regardless, before any action can be taken, the integrity of the jackets must be tested. There is, therefore, a growing need for subsea condition monitoring of aging offshore jacket steel platforms. To speed up operations and to handle complicated health, safety, and environment (HSE) issues in the splash zone, robots can be used. A robot for NDT inspection in the hostile splash zone is pictured in Fig. 1. The robot clamps itself to the circular braces and is equipped with 3D vision camera, kinematics algorithms, and an NDT probe. Integrity Testing Under Rough Conditions Testing for integrity of critical infrastructure often is performed by different NDT methods. In this study, eddy-current testing was chosen as the preferred method because it is fast and can penetrate layers of marine growth on the surface. The normal procedure is to use lightweight hand-held equipment. The splash zone, however, is often inaccessible under modern HSE standards. In this project, an automated NDT robot helped conduct efficient NDT testing for longer periods in challenging conditions. This robot offloads the NDT operator and makes testing more efficient.

Protic Stabilization Engenders High Energy Density and Long Cycle Life in Polyaniline–Zinc Supercapacitors

The redox activities of polyaniline (PANI) are hindered by the instability of pernigraniline salt (PS) state which degrades into oligo‐aniline. In this work, the use of protic additives is examined to mitigate capacity fading and increase utilization of PANI in nonaqueous electrolytes. The protic additive propylene glycol, with its hydrogen‐bonding capabilities, stabilizes the PS PANI and promotes reversible redox reactions, facilitating high capacity and an extended cycle lifetime for applications in metal ion supercapacitors. The use of this protic nonaqueous electrolyte in a PANI–zinc device results in an energy density of 255 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 1.8 kW kg−1 and a robust cycle lifetime of 3,850 charge/discharge cycles. The PANI at a high current density of 6.5 mA cm−2 reaches a capacity of 257 mAh g−1, equivalent to 87% of the its theoretical capacity, showcasing the effectiveness of the protic additive in improving both capacity and cycle life in electrochemical supercapacitors.

Graphene Nanoplatelets Extend Life of Scale-Inhibitor Squeeze Treatment

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 215228, “Graphene Nanoplatelets for Extended Lifetime of Scale-Inhibitor Squeeze Treatment in a High-Temperature Reservoir,” by Suzalina Zainal, SPE, Norzafirah Razali, and Mohamad A. Rodzali, Petronas, et al. The paper has not been peer reviewed. _ Scale-inhibitor squeeze (SISQ) treatment is an established method for offshore fields that allows an extended effectiveness of scale inhibitors in preventing deposition over time. One of the primary issues in SISQ campaigns is the short squeeze lifetime of less than 1 year. The study detailed in the complete paper proposed graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) as a preflush system to extend the lifetime of a conventional SISQ treatment. This carbon-based nanomaterial allowed enhanced adsorption of the phosphonate-based scale inhibitor. GNP as a Preflush System A high-surface-area GNP preflush system was chosen to condition the rock surface to overcome the apparent lack of suitable surfaces available for scale-inhibitor adsorption during SISQ treatment. The GNP was injected to coat the rock surface. GNPs consist of a few graphite layers with thicknesses varying from 0.7 to 100 nm. The carbon-based nanomaterial forms a honeycomb structure, regarded as a good alternative to its predecessor, graphene, because of its lower cost and potential for large-scale production. GNP particle size ranges between 100 and 200 nm. This 2D carbon nanomaterial offers several advantages, such as high surface area, a high aspect ratio with a planar shape, and good mechanical properties with excellent thermal and electrical conductivities. It is also inert toward common reservoir fluid. Experimental Procedure Materials. Injection and formation water (brine samples) were prepared based on compositions listed in Table 1 of the complete paper. Berea core plugs were used for static-adsorption and injectivity experiments. In these two experiments, the core samples were used to provide similar rock properties when comparing performances of the baseline preflush (seawater) vs. nano-preflush systems. The average rock permeability for the candidate oil field is between 200 and 400 md. Dispersion Evaluation in High Divalent Brine. Gum arabic (GA) stabilized the GNP in high divalent brine. The polymer-grafted GNP (P-GNP) samples were evaluated in terms of exfoliated sites as compared with GNP alone. Zeta-potential and particle-size analysis also were performed at different P-GNP concentrations. Static-Adsorption Evaluation. A static-adsorption method was designed to replicate preflush injection of P-GNP before introduction of scale inhibitor. Experiments compared the adsorption of the scale inhibitor onto crushed Berea rock, precoated with P-GNP, with another without pre-coating that used seawater preflush only. Coreflood Evaluation. Because of the scarcity of the native core samples, only Berea core samples were used for the injectivity study, while native core samples were used for the SISQ adsorption/desorption coreflood evaluation. In both types of experiments, a P-GNP preflush system was compared with the baseline (seawater preflush).

High ultraviolet gain in Ga2O3/ZnO heterojunction photodetector based on MSM structure

Amorphous Ga2O3 (a-Ga2O3) has attracted extensive attention due to its simple preparation process and low cost, but the extension of photoelectron lifetime caused by the trap state inhibits the responsiveness of a-Ga2O3 photodetector (PD), and how to improve the ultraviolet (UV) gain of a-Ga2O3 based PD is still a challenge. In this study, an a-Ga2O3/ZnO heterojunction PD based on metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) structure was designed and fabricated by radio frequency magnetron sputtering (RFMS), and a high-concentration electron transport channel was formed by using carrier multiplication and specific band structure in the high-field region of MSM structure, which achieved high optical gain and extraordinary optical detection ability. In the UVC-UVA band, the device has a peak responsivity of 1.59 A W−1 and a high light-dark ratio, EQE and D* of 1×104, 647 % and 3.6×1012 Jones under 5 V, respectively. In particular, compared to ZnO PD and a-Ga2O3 PD, the responsivity of the device is improved by a factor of 21 and 90, respectively. This study provides a new and effective method for the significant improvement of a-Ga2O3 based UV photoelectric detection performance.

Dynamic material flow analysis of construction materials in Saudi Arabia: Strategies for sustainability of residential buildings

Globally, the expansion of building infrastructure has serious environmental implications due to emissions from cement and steel. The construction industry uses the vast majority of cement and steel produced globally and locally. Consequently, this paper proposes a model to estimate and mitigate future material flow emissions into residential buildings in Saudi Arabia. First, a dynamic material flow model is used to quantify material flows and stock in residential buildings. The evolution of Saudi housing stock and related steel and cement are simulated from 1950 to 2100. Second, various strategies such as material efficiency improvement, lifetime extension, and reducing production emissions are simulated to reduce emissions caused by cement and steel. The findings indicate that implementing substantial material efficiency improvements can result in 33 %–46 % reductions of cumulative steel and cement emissions from 2023 to 2100, respectively. Furthermore, improving material efficiency measures could result in over 80 % reductions in emissions for steel over the same period. Reducing the ratio of clinker to supplementary cementitious materials in cement to 75 % could reduce cumulative cement emissions by 129 million tCO2e (17 %). Adoption of high material efficiency practices in cement use, low clinker cement, and waste as fuel can reduce emissions by 70 %. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of future emissions from building materials used in residential buildings, as well as the impact of emission mitigation strategies on future emissions, which will help decision-makers and researchers develop policies and research.

Distinguishing Electrochemical Processes in PEM Electrolysis By Impedance Modeling – Distribution of Relaxation Times

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis is a key technology in hydrogen production to provide capacity and flexibility for renewable energy power sources. Various research topics for electrolyzer development focus on cost reduction, performance optimization and lifetime extension with minimum platinum group metal (PGM) loading required [1]. Understanding degradation mechanisms in PEM electrolysis cells becomes necessary for developing mitigation strategies in dynamic durability tests, which facilitates the importance of advanced electrochemical characterization methods.Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a commonly used diagnostic technique in electrochemical systems. For impedance interpretation, equivalent circuit model (ECM) can be an option with prior knowledge about the system and appropriate circuit elements to prevent overfitting. Alternatively, distribution of relaxation times (DRT) provides a model-free pathway to address electrochemical mechanisms with different time constants and it has been applied to fuel cells, batteries and capacitors in the past years [2, 3]. Impedance deconvolution by DRT, however, has not been well adapted for PEMECs. In this study, electrochemical processes are successfully identified from the DRT profile by varying membrane electrode assembly (MEA) compositions and different operational conditions. In a single cell testing, four main peaks in DRT results associated with (1) mass transport losses (2) reaction kinetic (3) ionic conductivity within the catalyst layer and (4) ohmic properties at the interface of membrane and catalyst layers can be separated and quantified. Examination of electron microscopy provides further explanation of different MEA characteristics in performance analysis. This study verifies DRT is a promising tool to better understand PEM electrolysis processes and will be applied to degradation mitigation in the future.