Achievement

A mechanical engineering student, Casey Hoffman, has been investigating spray deposition methods for the manufacture of fuel cell electrodes. While working with a committee member in Material Science he has been able to use x-ray fluorescence (XRF) equipment which provides an elemental analysis of a material. Fuel cell electrodes are designed such that a uniform catalyst layer is deposited across the entire surface area. This technique is used to measure this platinum catalyst loading distribution at several discreet points across an electrode. Working with material science students in the lab has allowed the IGERT student to better understand the characteristic fluorescent radiation and use it to quantitatively analyze electrodes manufactured by different methods.