SELECTIVITY AND RESISTANCE TO POISONS OF COMMERCIAL HYDROGEN SENSORS

The European Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy both recognize the key role hydrogen technologies will play in securing a safe, clean and secure energy supply in the future. Considering the potential implications on the safety and operation of hydrogen applications, the selectivity and resistance to poisoning of hydrogen sensors is a valid concern of the sensor user. The resistance of hydrogen sensors to chemical contaminants such as SO2, H2S, NO2 and hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS) has been investigated for catalytic, MOSFET, electrochemical and thermal conductivity sensors [1,2]. These sensor platforms are among the most commonly used for the detection of hydrogen. The evaluation protocols were based on the recommendations of ISO 26142 [3]. Permanent alteration of the sensor response to the target analyte (H2) was rarely observed following exposure to potential poisons at the concentrations specified. Although a shift in the baseline response was often observed during exposure to the potential poisons, only in a few cases did this shift persist after removal of the contaminants. Overall, the resistance to poisoning of the sensors was good. However, a change in sensitivity to hydrogen was observed in the electrochemical platform after exposure to NO2 and for a catalytic sensor during exposure to SO2.

PALMISANO Valerio;  WEIDNER RONNEFELD Eveline;  BRETT Lois;  BONATO Christian;  HARSKAMP Frederik;  MORETTO Pietro;  POST Matthew;  BURGESS Robert;  RIVKIN Carl;  BUTTNER William; 

2015-06-01

Committee of WHEC2014

JRC90786

978-1-63439-655-4,