Multi-Parameter Improvement Method for (Micro-) Structural Properties of High Performance Ceramics

Many pH-measurement electrodes rely on porous diaphragms to create a liquid electrolyte junction between reference-electrolyte and the fluid to be measured. In field applications, the diaphragm is required to meet partly contradictory improvement criteria. To minimize measurement errors and to ensure durability of the measurement device, the diaphragm is supposed to maximize electrolyte conductivity and reference-electrolyte outflow velocity, while simultaneously minimizing reference electrolyte flow rate. The task of optimizing the overall performance of this small piece of ceramics has lead to the development of a novel multi-parameter improvement scheme for its (micro-) structural design. The method encompasses the consideration of microscopic material design parameters, such as porosity, pore- tortuosity and constrictivity, macroscopic material parameters such as diaphragm diameter and length, as well as process parameters like internal electrode pressure or the electrolyte viscosity and specific resistivity. Comprising sets of design parameters to dimensionless groups, concrete design guidelines as well as the introduction of a three-dimensional improvement space concept are proposed. The novel design space concept allows the improvement of each possible diaphragm-based measurement set-up, by considering the simultaneous, dimensionless interaction of all relevant design parameters.