A Nasicon CO/sub 2/ gas sensor with drift-detection electrode

A Nasicon (sodium super ion conductor) CO/sub 2/ gas sensor with a new structure is developed for monitoring CO/sub 2/ levels in the atmospheric air. In addition to the sensing and reference electrodes of a conventional Nasicon sensor, an auxiliary electrode, referred to as the base electrode, is provided with the new structure. The principle of CO/sub 2/ detection is the same as that of a conventional Nasicon sensor, but the durability is greatly improved by using a nonaqueous carbonate as the sensing material. Characterization has also revealed that the output voltage at the base electrode is closely correlated with the drift at the sensing electrode and is available for the drift compensation.