Reference 3000AE Potentiostat

In this application note, Gamry Instruments demonstrates the ability of the Reference 3000™ potentiostat/galvanostat and the Reference 30k™ Booster to handle the demanding requirements involved in cell testing. There are many different ways of testing batteries and battery materials to determine their characteristics. Traditional methods include:

• Long-term cycling to determine cycle life and capacity fade
• Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), internal resistance capacitance, and other characteristics
• Potentiostatic (and galvanostatic) intermittent titration techniques (PITT/GITT) for diffusion rates, leakage rates, and self-discharge

There are many others but these form the basis for a large number of tests. Gamry Instruments equipment has been designed to be able to do these types of rapid, high-current pulses. The Reference 3000 potentiostat/galvanostat and Reference 30k Booster can accurately generate current pulses as short as the high tens of microseconds. Download this free application note to find out more.

Alternative energy sources are becoming more prevalent as alternatives to fossil fuels become important in the electricity generation equation. Fuel cells and batteries both play their part in this arena for energy storage and conversion. Their success depends on continued improvement in performance. While there are many tools used in the characterization of these devices during all stages of developent, one stands common – electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a powerful technique that is particularly useful for battery and fuel cell development. What makes this technique so powerful is that it is a non-destructive technique that allows you to characterize everything from materials, to cells, to modules, and even full packs.

Electrochemical experiments range from simple potentiostatic (chronoamperometry) to cyclic voltammetry (potentiodynamic), to complex AC techniques such as impedance spectroscopy. Moreover, each individual technique may have multiple possible experimental setups, often with a best option. This note discusses one aspect of these setups: the number of electrodes (or probes) used.

Among the many electrochemical techniques available in Gamry Instruments’ Framework™ software is square-wave voltammetry, a form of pulse voltammetry. This Application Note describes what square-wave voltammetry is, and the parameters involved.

Of all the components of a Gamry Instruments system, the cell cable is the one that is constantly being flexed and exposed to corrosive environments. In this application note, Gamry outlines how to check the integrity of a cell cable.

In this application note, Gamry outlines how to troubleshoot, calibrate and check the EIS performance a Gamry potentiostat.

This applcication note explores and explains the setup of Gamry Instruments potentiostats in a series of electrode experiments. This note is applicable to any Gamry potentiostat, as well as some others.

Super-capacitors generally store energy through the physical separation of electrical charges. This application note is the first part of a two-part overview of the electrochemical techniques used to test a super-capacitor device or technology. Part 1 introduces super-capacitators, describes ideal and non-ideal capacitors and discusses techniques familiar to electrochemists including Cyclic Voltammetry, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and measurement of leakage current.

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) is an indispensable, valuable, and versatile analytical tool for resolving electrochemical processes. This technical note discusses the Accuracy Contour Plot (ACP). The ACP gives the user valuable information about a potentiostat’s EIS performance and accuracy, enabling the user to compare the EIS capability of any potentiostat.

This application note is Part 3 of the series describing electrochemical techniques for energy-storage devices. It discusses basics of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and introduces Gamry’s EIS techniques by measurements on single electrochemical capacitors (ECs) and stacks.