Room Temperature Compressive Property and Deformation Behavior of Microporous STS 316L Stainless Steel Tube Manufactured with Powder Sintering Process.

This study investigated the room-temperature compressive property and deformation behavior of microporous STS 316L stainless steel tube for catalyst manufactured with powder sintering after two-way compression molding. The microporous tube was manufactured using STS 316L powder stocks with an outer diameter of 30 mm, inner diameter of 25 mm and length of 120 mm. In initial microstructure observed from different directions and locations, the porosity was measured as 32%, and the relative density obtained using micro-computed tomography was 0.54. Phase analysis did not identify phases other than γ-Fe. In a room temperature compression test, compressive yield strength measured 32 MPa. Observation of fractpgraphy after compression test revealed that dimples were formed at the powder-powder interface during the process where necks were disconnected. Based on the above findings, this study attempted to identify the deformation behavior of microporous STS 316L material manufactured with powder sintering after two-way compression molding and powder sintering process.

High-Temperature Current Collection Enabled by the in Situ Phase Transformation of Cobalt-Nickel Foam for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.

For the commercial development of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), cathode current collection has been one of the most challenging issues because it is extremely difficult to form continuous electric paths between two rigid components in a high-temperature oxidizing atmosphere. Herein, we present a Co-Ni foam as an innovative cathode current collector that fulfills all strict thermochemical and thermomechanical requirements for use in SOFCs. The Co-Ni foam is originally in the form of a metal alloy, offering excellent mechanical properties and manufacturing tolerance during stack assembly and startup processes. Then, it is converted to the conductive spinel oxide in situ during operation and provides nearly ideal structural and chemical characteristics as a current collector, gas distributor, and load-bearing component. The functionality and durability of the Co-Ni foam are verified by unit cell test and 1 kW-class stack operation, demonstrating performance that is equivalent to that of precious metals as well as an exceptional stability under dynamic conditions with severe temperature and current variations. This work highlights a cost-effective technique to achieve highly reliable electric contacts over the large area using the in situ metal-to-ceramic phase transformation that could be applied to various high-temperature electrochemical devices.