Monitoring Volatile Organic Tank Waste Using Cermet Microsensors

Edward G. Gatliff, Ph.D. ; Laura R. Skubal, Ph.D. ; Michael C. Vogt, Ph.D.

Applied Natural Sciences, Inc.

关键词: Pattern Recognition;    Wastes Cermet Microsensor, Ceramic-Metallic Microsensor, Organic Tank Waste, Monitoring, Storage Tank Monitoring, Tank Headspace;    Monitoring;    Cermet Microsensor, Ceramic-Metallic Microsensor, Organic Tank Waste, Monitoring, Storage Tank Monitoring, Tank Headspace;    Tanks;   

DOI  :  10.2172/877280
RP-ID  :  SBIR Phase I Report
RP-ID  :  FG02-04ER83901
RP-ID  :  877280

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

Presently, very few inexpensive technologies exist in the marketplace that can determine the contents of tank waste or monitor the chemistry of tank constituents in near-real time. The research addressed this problem by developing and assessing ceramic-metallic based microsensors for determining the constituents of a liquid organic storage tank by examining the gases in the headspace of the tank. Overall, the WBO and YSZ sensors responded well to the chemicals in this study. Responses to various concentrations were distinguishable visually. This is a clear indication that pattern recognition tools will be effective in resolving the constituents and concentrations. In tests, such as the test with acetophenone, one sensor, the WBO sensor is not extremely effective. However, the other sensor, the YSZ sensor, is effective in resolving the concentrations. This supports the need to use an array of sensors, as one sensor may be reactive to a compound while another may not. In the course of this research, several interesting phenomena surfaced. New sensors, that were fabricated but not used in a contaminant gas, seemed to function more effectively and predictably if a ?conditioning? step was imposed upon them prior to use in square wave voltammetry. A conditioning step consists of running cyclic voltammetry prior to running square wave voltammetry. This step tends to ?cleanse? the sensor surface by providing a full -1.0 V to +1.0V sweep and both oxidizing and reducing compounds on the sensor surface. [Note: squarewave voltammetry will simply oxidize or reduce compounds ? it will not induce both reactions.] This sweep is essential for recovery between samples.