Geometrical characterization of interconnected phase networks in three dimensions

In electrochemical devices such as fuel cells or batteries the microstructure is a determining factor for the performance of the device. To be able to optimize the microstructure it is important to be able to quantitatively measure key structural parameters, such that systematic studies can be made. We present several general methods for quantitative characterization of network structures without prior assumptions of shape or application. The characterization is performed by extracting distributions of values rather than single value descriptions, thus allowing more detailed comparisons between samples to be made. The methods characterize tortuosity, path diameters, the novel dead ends property and a particle shape independent alternative to a particle size distribution. The parameters are calculated by the computation of arrival time maps by the fast marching method. The methods are applied to the analysis of each of the three phases in a solid oxide fuel cell sample.