The hard X-ray beamline BAMline at BESSY II (Berlin, Germany) has now been in service for 20 years. Several improvements have been implemented in this time, and this review provides an overview of the imaging methods available at the BAMline. Besides classic full-field synchrotron X-ray computed tomography (SXCT), also absorption edge CT, synchrotron X-ray refraction radiography (SXRR), and synchrotron X-ray refraction tomography (SXRCT) are used for imaging. Moreover, virtually any of those techniques are currently coupled in situ or operando with ancillary equipment such as load rigs, furnaces, or potentiostats. Each of the available techniques is explained and both the current and the potential usage are described with corresponding examples. The potential use is manifold, the examples cover organic materials, composite materials, energy-related materials, biological samples, and materials related to additive manufacturing. The article includes published examples as well as some unpublished applications.
In this investigation, synchrotron X-ray imaging was used to investigate the water distribution inside newly developed gas diffusion media in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. In-situ radiography was used to reveal the relationship between the structure of the microporous layer (MPL) and the water flow in a newly developed MPL equipped with randomly arranged holes. A strong influence of these holes on the overall water transport was found. This contribution provides a brief overview to some of our recent activities on this research field.
A novel approach is suggested to strongly suppress artifacts in radiography and computed tomography caused by the effect of diffuse background signals 'backlighting' of 2D X-ray detectors. Depending on the detector geometry the mechanism may be different. Either based on the optical scattering of the fluorescent screen materials into the optical detection devices or Compton or X-ray fluorescence scattering by the detector components. Consequently, these erroneous intensity portions result in locally different violations of Lambert Beer's law in single projections (radiographs) as a function of the detector area coverage and the magnitude of the attenuation. The absorption of multiple metal sheets is investigated by monochromatic synchrotron radiation, thus excluding beam hardening. The proposed correction procedure simply requires the individual subtraction of one and the same fraction of the primary and transmitted mean intensity, as a constant (non-local) scattering mechanism is assumed.
Neutron tomography was applied to study the 3D water distribution in full polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stacks. The water distribution after switch-off of the fuel cell was analyzed over a period of 36 h. We found a slowly increasing water amount in the fuel cell, but only few changes within a time period of 5 h, which is about the time necessary for neutron tomography. In this way, the requirement for successful tomography was obtained. It is demonstrated how the quasi in-situ tomography technique enables us to study the water content in individual flow field channels of three-fold stacks. Flow field as well as stack design issues are addressed by this visualization method showing weak points due to a non-uniform water distribution that can be identified by means of neutron imaging.
We present transmission electron microscope (TEM) tomography investigations of ruthenium-based fuel cell catalyst materials as employed in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). The digital three-dimensional representation of the samples not only enables detailed studies on number, size, and shape but also on the local orientation of the ruthenium particles to their support and their freely accessible surface area. The shape analysis shows the ruthenium particles deviate significantly from spherical symmetry which increases their surface to volume ratio. The morphological studies help to understand the structure formation mechanisms during the fabrication as well as the high effectiveness of these catalysts in the oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode side of fuel cells.
A novel approach to strongly suppress artifacts in radiography and computed tomography caused by the effect of
diffuse background signals ('backlighting') of 2D X-ray detectors is suggested. Depending on the detector
geometry the mechanism may be different, either based on the optical scattering of the fluorescent screen
materials into optical detection devices or Compton or X-ray fluorescence scattering by the detector components.
Consequently, these erroneous intensity portions result in locally different violations of Lambert Beers law in
single projections (radiographs) as function of the detector area coverage and the magnitude of the attenuation.
The absorption of multiple metal sheets is investigated by monochromatic synchrotron radiation, thus excluding
beam hardening. The proposed correction procedure simply requires the individual subtraction of one and the
same fraction of the primary and transmitted mean intensity, as a constant (non-local) scattering mechanism is
assumed.