Gas sensors

Many industrial processes require oxygen concentration measurements in high purity or inert gas mixtures. With these applications, potentiometric oxygen sensors are favoured over limiting-current type sensors due to their logarithmic correlation between sensor signal and oxygen concentration. This allows for highly sensitive measurement especially at low oxygen concentrations. In a joint project with Henze-Hauck Prozessmess­technik/Analytik GmbH, a potentiometric oxygen sensor for process control in various industrial applications has been developed at IKTS.

Development results

The sensor allows a high-resolution oxygen concentration measurement in the rage 0-21 vol% in various inert gases.  In addition, high measuring precision is achieved by in-situ determination of the sensor temperature inside the sensing electrode. For application in industrial manufacturing processes, a simplified tubular sensor design using rugged materials was chosen. Based on this design, the sensor has shown superior long term stability in a wide range of temperatures and pressures even in the presence of corrosive gases.

For the analysis of gas mixtures containing combustible components like hydrogen and methane, an additional sensor version capable of detecting free oxygen has been developed. In conjunction with specifically designed gas sensitive layers, the sensor can also be used to detect reducing or oxidizing gas components like H₂, CO, NH₃, NO und NO₂ based on mixed potential measurement.

Services offered

• Development of mixed potential sensors for various gas components
• Heater integration and sensor packaging for high temperature applications
• Supply of sensor prototypes for evaluation purposes