3D reconstruction size effect on the quantification of solid oxide fuel cell nickel-yttria-stabilized-zirconia anode microstructural information using scanning electron microscopy-focused ion beam technique

Self-made conventional nickel-yttria-stabilized zirconia composite anodes after reduction and 500 h operation were analyzed by three-dimensional microstructure reconstruction based on focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy technique. Interfacial area, three-phases-boundary density and phase volume fraction were measured based on the three-dimensional microstructure reconstruction to quantitatively study the statistical characterization of solid oxide fuel cell nickel-yttria-stabilized-zirconia anode microstructure before and after operation. It is found that for anode operated with long time, it is necessary to increase the corresponding three-dimensional reconstruction size to suppress the influence of microstructure variation caused by Ni agglomeration in order to obtain more accurate microstructural quantification information.