The Need

Carbon dioxide sensors are becoming increasingly important in many applications including monitoring air quality, CO2 sequestration, measuring metabolic activity in animals, and controlling combustion. While commercial sensors for such applications exist, there is nothing currently on the market designed for reliability and effectiveness in high temperature and high humidity environments.

The Technology

The Ohio State University researchers led by Dr. Prabir Dutta have developed a reliable, high-performance carbon dioxide electrochemical sensor that works across a wide range of temperatures, is insensitive to humidity, and detects CO2 across a wide range of concentrations. An outer layer of barium carbonate is used to physically and chemically protect against humidity and an inner lithium carbonate layer is used for CO2 sensing.

Commercial Applications

• Industrial settings sensors to comply with standards
• Combustion control
• CO2 monitoring in harsh environments

Benefits/Advantages

• Environmental/Industrial applications
• Potentiometric mode
• Operational temperature: 450-600°C
• Sensitive over ppm to percent levels
• No interference from CO and hydrocarbons
• Technology Readiness Level: TRL 5 (laboratory testing of integrated system)