Detecting trace-level concentrations of volatile organic compounds with metal oxide gas sensors

Author

Schuler, Manuela ; Helwig, N. ; Schutze, Andreas ; Sauerwald, Tilman ; Ventura, G.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Mechatron., Saarland Univ., Saarbrucken, Germany

fYear

2013

fDate

3-6 Nov. 2013

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

4

Abstract

We are studying the reactions of metal oxide semiconductor gas sensors to hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at concentrations in the lower ppb and even sub-ppb range with and without interfering gases. For these measurements a gas mixing apparatus was realized providing concentrations from some ten ppt to some hundred ppb in a non-varying carrier gas stream. First results show high sensitivity (relative change in conductance) of a commercial thick film sensor, for example approx. 15 % for 500 ppt benzene and 137 % for 40 ppb naphthalene, also in the presence of ethanol (2 ppm) as interfering gas. The absolute change of conductance of the sensor for naphthalene is constant with and without interfering gas.

Keywords

MIS devices; chemical reactions; chemical variables measurement; gas mixtures; gas sensors; hazardous materials; organic compounds; thick film sensors; concentration measurement; gas mixing apparatus; hazardous VOC; metal oxide semiconductor gas sensor; naphthalene; nonvarying carrier gas stream; reactions; sensor conductance; thick film sensor; trace level concentration detection; volatile organic compound; volatile organic compounds; Compounds; Electron tubes; Impurities; Ovens; Pollution measurement; Temperature measurement; Temperature sensors;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

SENSORS, 2013 IEEE

Conference_Location

Baltimore, MD

ISSN

1930-0395

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/ICSENS.2013.6688276

Filename

6688276