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Non-Invasive Ultrasonic Coating Evaluation for Electrochemical Systems

Makers of fuel cells, electrolyzers and other electrochemical devices depend on catalyst coatings applied with tight consistency; yet, today’s inspection tools force production to pause so samples can be pulled and studied in a laboratory. SonicCoat, developed by researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory, offers a faster path: A gentle ultrasonic probe reads how much catalyst has been laid down while the coating line keeps running, giving producers real-time confidence in every layer without slowing throughput or harming the part. The payoff is higher yield, more uniform device performance and lower material cost across a platform that reaches from clean-energy hardware to batteries, solar films and semiconductors.

How it Works

The SonicCoat method rests on a simple physical fact: Sound travels through an object differently as the object’s makeup changes. A small transducer sends acoustic waves through a coated part and listens for the natural tones, or resonances, that the material rings back. As the catalyst is sprayed onto the surface layer by layer, those resonant tones shift in pitch and loudness in step with how much material has been added, so the acoustic signature becomes a fingerprint of coating thickness and uniformity. Because the reading is taken by sound rather than by scraping, cutting or exposing the part to X-rays, the inspection happens in place and in seconds, and the part continues down the line unharmed.

Technology Description

SonicCoat applies Acoustic Resonance Spectroscopy (ARS) to the quality control of catalyst-coated gas diffusion layers, the porous electrodes at the heart of fuel cells and electrolyzers. A coated sample is held in fixturing fitted with transducers that excite it across a broad frequency band and record its resonant response, first as a baseline on the bare substrate and then after each successive catalyst layer. Comparing each response against the baseline reveals how the resonance peaks migrate and change in amplitude, and those movements track the amount of platinum catalyst deposited. Testing has shown peaks moving roughly in proportion to added catalyst content, which demonstrates enough sensitivity to distinguish layer-by-layer differences in loading.

Because the measurement is non-destructive and adds little time to the coating cycle, the approach fits directly into continuous production rather than diverting samples for laboratory analysis by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy or X-ray fluorescence, the after-the-fact methods relied on today. Catalyst loading is a primary driver of both cost and performance in electrochemical devices, so verified, consistent deposition translates into steadier power output, longer service life and less wasted precious metal. The same principle extends to any process where a thin coating must be monitored on a substrate, and the technique suits scale-up because it neither caps throughput nor limits the number of parts that can be checked.

Advantages

• Inspects coatings in place while the line keeps moving, with no need to stop and pull samples


• Fully non-destructive, so parts are never cut, scraped or exposed to X-rays


• Reads catalyst buildup layer by layer for tight, repeatable quality control


• Relies on simple, low-cost ultrasonic hardware instead of large laboratory instruments


• Protects costly materials such as platinum by catching over-coating or under-coating early


• Scales to high-volume production without limiting output

Market Applications

• Fuel Cell and Electrolyzer Manufacturing


• Battery Manufacturing


• Solar Energy


• Semiconductor Fabrication


• Protective Coatings

TRL 4

U.S. Patent pending

LA-UR-26-28073

LANL Tech Partnerships: Unlock the Innovative Potential

Los Alamos National Laboratory offers a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and capabilities that may provide your company with a competitive edge in the market and unlock the innovative potential that can enhance, refine, and revolutionize your products.

LANL’s licensing program focuses on moving inventions developed by our researchers to commercial innovations. Patented and patent pending inventions and copyrighted software are available to existing and start-up companies through exclusive and non-exclusive licensing agreements. For specific discussions, please contact licensing@lanl.gov.

Note: This is not a call for external services for the development of this technology.

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