Small pellets testing kit
For small and thick button cell testing
Quick and reproducible test protocols are needed to characterize the electro-ceramic material after their fabrication. In general, as low amount of ceramic powders are available, small and thick pellets are pressed and sintered.
For this purpose, Fiaxell has developed the "small pellets testing kit" for the SOFC /SOEC test fixture that allows an easy and quick mounting of such material.
The ceramic pellets that generally have a diameter between 6 to 12 mm and a thickness of 2 to 4 mm are blocked on a special flange with a disc of soft vermiculite (mica) that has the same high of the ceramic sample and prevents the latter (or the flanges) to toggle.
Gold or other appropriate M_Grid™ materials are placed on both sides of the pellet for potential and current measurement. After this operation, the double ceramic felt caps are covering the sample as for any other cell mounting in the Open-Flanges™ test station.
Experiments are normally carried out with one single atmosphere that will be modified during the test, such as pO2 or pH2O. In certain circumstances, the small pellets would also have the possibility to be tested with two different atmospheres (SOFC or SOEC mode).