Integrated Sensing of Alcohols by CNT Blended HAp Nano Ceramics

• Main Authors: Shaikh R. ANJUM, Rajendra S. KHAIRNAR
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: IFSA Publishing, S.L. 2016-11-01
• Series: Sensors & Transducers
• Subjects: Alcohol sensor; Carbon nanotubes; Gas sensor; Hydroxyapatite; Methanol sensor.
• Online Access: http://www.sensorsportal.com/HTML/DIGEST/november_2016/Vol_206/P_2864.pdf
• ISSN: 2306-8515; 1726-5479

The research work reports the application of carbon nanotubes (CNT) blended Hydroxyapatite (HAp) composites as ideal thick film substrates for the detection of hazardous and flammable methanol vapours. The main objective of this work is to improve the temperature-dependent sensitivity of the sensor for the detection of lower methanol concentration. In this study, the sensing ability of native HAp and CNT blended HAp thick films is studied for the detection of methanol vapours present in ambient air individually and in the form of a mixture of methanol, ethanol, and propanol. The sensing parameters are studied using two probe electrical method. The sensor substrate is made by means of doping of different concentrations of CNT in HAp. The sensing of methanol vapours is studied at a fixed concentration of 100 ppm. Native HAp substrate shows good sensitivity for methanol at room temperature; however, its sensing performance is inferior to the CNT blended materials. The blended composites exhibit impressive sensing ability compared with native HAp in terms of sensitivity, response/ recovery time and maximum uptake limit. The sensing mechanism for methanol detection, the role of HAp as a parent material and CNT as an additive, is explained using a suitable sensing mechanism.