Room temperature ammonia and VOC sensing properties of CuO nanorods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhuvaneshwari, S.; Gopalakrishnan, N., E-mail: ngk@nitt.edu [Thin film laboratory, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli-620015 (India)

2016-05-23

Here, we report a NH{sub 3} and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) sensing prototype of CuO nanorods with peculiar sensing characteristics at room temperature. High quality polycrystalline nanorods were synthesized by a low temperature hydrothermal method. The rods are well oriented with an aspect ratio of 5.71. Luminescence spectrum of CuO nanorods exhibited a strong UV-emission around 415 nm (2.98 eV) which arises from the electron-hole recombination phenomenon. The absence of further deep level emissions establishes the lack of defects such as oxygen vacancies and Cu interstitials. At room temperature, the sensor response was recorded over a range of gas concentrations from 100-600 ppm of ammonia, ethanol and methanol. The sensor response showed power law dependence with the gas concentration. This low temperature sensing can be validated by the lower value of calculated activation energy of 1.65 eV observed from the temperature dependent conductivity measurement.

Gas Sensing Performance of Pure and Modified BST Thick Film Resistor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. H. JAIN

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Barium Strontium Titanate (BST-(Ba0.87Sr0.13TiO3 ceramic powder was prepared by mechanochemical process. The thick films of different thicknesses of BST were prepared by screen-printing technique and gas-sensing performance of these films was tested for various gases. The films showed highest response and selectivity to ammonia gas. The pure BST film was surface modified by surfactant CrO3 by using dipping technique. The surface modified film suppresses the response to ammonia and enhances to H2S gas. The surface modification of films changes the adsorption-desorption relationship with the target gas and shifts its selectivity. The gas response, selectivity, response and recovery time of the pure and modified films were measured and presented.

[INVITED] Porphyrin-nanoassembled fiber-optic gas sensor fabrication: Optimization of parameters for sensitive ammonia gas detection

Science.gov (United States)

Korposh, Sergiy; Kodaira, Suguru; Selyanchyn, Roman; Ledezma, Francisco H.; James, Stephen W.; Lee, Seung-Woo

2018-05-01

Highly sensitive fiber-optic ammonia gas sensors were fabricated via layer-by-layer deposition of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and tetrakis(4-sulfophenyl)porphine (TSPP) onto the surface of the core of a hard-clad multimode fiber that was stripped of its polymer cladding. The effects of film thickness, length of sensing area, and depth of evanescent wave penetration were investigated to clearly understand the sensor performance. The sensitivity of the fiber-optic sensor to ammonia was linear in the concentration range of 0.5-50 ppm and the response and recovery times were less than 3 min, with a limit of detection of 0.5 ppm, when a ten-cycle PDDA/TSPP film was assembled on the surface of the core along a 1 cm-long stripped section of the fiber. The sensor's response towards ammonia was also checked under different relative humidity conditions and a simple statistical data treatment approach, principal component analysis, demonstrated the feasibility of ammonia sensing in environmental relative humidity ranging from dry 7% to highly saturated 80%. Penetration depths of the evanescent wave for the optimal sensor configuration were estimated to be 30 and 33 nm at wavelengths of 420 and 706 nm, which are in a good agreement with the thickness of the 10-cycle deposited film (ca. 30 nm).

A low-cost, portable optical sensing system with wireless communication compatible of real-time and remote detection of dissolved ammonia

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Shijie; Doherty, William; McAuliffe, Michael AP; Salaj-Kosla, Urszula; Lewis, Liam; Huyet, Guillaume

2016-06-01

A low-cost and portable optical chemical sensor based ammonia sensing system that is capable of detecting dissolved ammonia up to 5 ppm is presented. In the system, an optical chemical sensor is designed and fabricated for sensing dissolved ammonia concentrations. The sensor uses eosin as the fluorescence dye which is immobilized on the glass substrate by a gas-permeable protection layer. A compact module is developed to hold the optical components, and a battery powered micro-controller system is designed to read out and process the data measured. The system operates without the requirement of laboratory instruments that makes it cost effective and highly portable. Moreover, the calculated results in the system can be transmitted to a PC wirelessly, which allows the remote and real-time monitoring of dissolved ammonia.

Sensing characteristics of nanocrystalline bismuth oxide clad-modified fiber optic gas sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Manjula, M.; Karthikeyan, B.; Sastikumar, D.

2017-08-01

Gas sensing properties of nanocrystalline bismuth oxide clad - modified fiber optic sensor is reported for ammonia, ethanol, methanol and acetone gasses at room temperature. The output of sensor increases or decreases for certain gasses when the concentration of the gas is increased. The sensor exhibits high response and good selectivity to methanol gas. Time response characteristics of the sensor are also reported.

Decoration of vertical graphene with aerosol nanoparticles for gas sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui, Shumao; Guo, Xiaoru; Ren, Ren; Zhou, Guihua; Chen, Junhong

2015-01-01

A facile method was demonstrated to decorate aerosol Ag nanoparticles onto vertical graphene surfaces using a mini-arc plasma reactor. The vertical graphene was directly grown on a sensor electrode using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. The aerosol Ag nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple vapor condensation process using a mini-arc plasma source. Then, the nanoparticles were assembled on the surface of vertical graphene through the assistance of an electric field. Based on our observation, nonagglomerated Ag nanoparticles formed in the gas phase and were assembled onto vertical graphene sheets. Nanohybrids of Ag nanoparticle-decorated vertical graphene were characterized for ammonia gas detection at room temperature. The vertical graphene served as the conductance channel, and the conductance change upon exposure to ammonia was used as the sensing signal. The sensing results show that Ag nanoparticles significantly improve the sensitivity, response time, and recovery time of the sensor. (paper)

Glycopyrrolate in toxic exposure to ammonia gas

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Bhalla A

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Ammonia (NH 3 is a highly water-soluble, colorless, irritant gas with a unique pungent odor. Liquid ammonia stored under high pressure is still widely used for refrigeration in cold stores used for storing grains. Severe toxicity may occur following accidental exposure. We report an interesting case of accidental exposure to ammonia treated with glycopyrrolate along with other supportive measures.

A Water-Stable Proton-Conductive Barium(II)-Organic Framework for Ammonia Sensing at High Humidity.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Kaimeng; Zhao, Lili; Yu, Shihang; Zhou, Wenyan; Li, Zifeng; Li, Gang

2018-06-07

In view of environmental protection and the need for early prediction of major diseases, it is necessary to accurately monitor the change of trace ammonia concentration in air or in exhaled breath. However, the adoption of proton-conductive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as smart sensors in this field is limited by a lack of ultrasensitive gas-detecting performance at high relative humidity (RH). Here, the pellet fabrication of a water-stable proton-conductive MOF, Ba( o-CbPhH 2 IDC)(H 2 O) 4 ] n (1) ( o-CbPhH 4 IDC = 2-(2-carboxylphenyl)-1 H-imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid) is reported. The MOF 1 displays enhanced sensitivity and selectivity to NH 3 gas at high RHs (>85%) and 30 °C, and the sensing mechanism is suggested. The electrochemical impedance gas sensor fabricated by MOF 1 is a promising sensor for ammonia at mild temperature and high RHs.

Effect of Mg doping in the gas-sensing performance of RF-sputtered ZnO thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Vinoth, E.; Gowrishankar, S.; Gopalakrishnan, N.

2018-06-01

Thin films of Mg-free and Mg-doped (3, 10 and 20 mol%) ZnO thin films have been deposited on Si (100) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering for gas-sensing application. Preferential orientation along (002) plane with hexagonal wurtzite structure has been observed in X-ray diffraction analysis. The conductivity, resistivity, and mobility of the deposited films have been measured by Hall effect measurement. The bandgap of the films has been calculated from the UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy. It has been found that the bandgap was increased from 3.35 to 3.91 eV with Mg content in ZnO due to the radiative recombination of excitons. The change in morphology of the grown films has been investigated by scanning electron microscope. Gas-sensing measurements have been conducted for fabricated films. The sensor response, selectivity, and stability measurement were done for the fabricated films. Though better response was found towards ethanol, methanol, and ammonia for MZ2 (Mg at 10 mol%) film and maximum gas response was observed towards ammonia. The selectivity measurement reveals maximum sensitivity about 42% for ammonia. The low response time of 123 s and recovery time of 152 s towards ammonia were observed for MZ2 (Mg at 10 mol%). Stability of the Mg-doped ZnO thin film confirmed by the continuous sensing measurements for 4 months.

46 CFR 111.105-32 - Bulk liquefied flammable gas and ammonia carriers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Bulk liquefied flammable gas and ammonia carriers. 111... gas and ammonia carriers. (a) Each vessel that carries bulk liquefied flammable gases or ammonia as a.... (2) The term “gas-dangerous” does not include the weather deck of an ammonia carrier. (c) Each...

Al2O3- BSST Based Chemical Sensors for Ammonia Gas Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. A. Patil

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Gas sensing behaviour of pure and modified (Ba0.9Sr0.1(Sn0.5Ti0.5O3 (BSST thick films is reported in this article. The surface of the BSST thick film was modified by dipping it into aqueous solution of AlCl3, for different intervals of time. These films were then dried at 500 0C for 24 hours in air ambient for transformation of AlCl3 into Al2O3, for the evaporation of organic binders and also to improve the texture of the film. The gas response, selectivity, response and recovery time of the sensors were measured and presented. The role played by the aluminium species to improve the gas sensing performance of the sensors is discussed.

Ice nucleation of ammonia gas exposed montmorillonite mineral dust particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Salam

2007-07-01

Full Text Available The ice nucleation characteristics of montmorillonite mineral dust aerosols with and without exposure to ammonia gas were measured at different atmospheric temperatures and relative humidities with a continuous flow diffusion chamber. The montmorillonite particles were exposed to pure (100% and diluted ammonia gas (25 ppm at room temperature in a stainless steel chamber. There was no significant change in the mineral dust particle size distribution due to the ammonia gas exposure. 100% pure ammonia gas exposure enhanced the ice nucleating fraction of montmorillonite mineral dust particles 3 to 8 times at 90% relative humidity with respect to water (RHw and 5 to 8 times at 100% RHw for 120 min exposure time compared to unexposed montmorillonite within our experimental conditions. The percentages of active ice nuclei were 2 to 8 times higher at 90% RHw and 2 to 7 times higher at 100% RHw in 25 ppm ammonia exposed montmorillonite compared to unexposed montmorillonite. All montmorillonite particles are more efficient as ice nuclei with increasing relative humidities and decreasing temperatures. The activation temperature of montmorillonite exposed to 100% pure ammonia was 15°C higher than for unexposed montmorillonite particles at 90% RHw. In the 25 ppm ammonia exposed montmorillonite experiments, the activation temperature was 10°C warmer than unexposed montmorillonite at 90% RHw. Degassing does not reverse the ice nucleating ability of ammonia exposed montmorillonite mineral dust particles suggesting that the ammonia is chemically bound to the montmorillonite particle. This is the first experimental evidence that ammonia gas exposed montmorillonite mineral dust particles can enhance its activation as ice nuclei and that the activation can occur at temperatures warmer than –10°C where natural atmospheric ice nuclei are very scarce.

Fabrication, characterization and gas sensing studies of PPy/MWCNT/SLS nanocomposite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tiwari, D. C., E-mail: dctiwari2001@yahoo.com; Atri, Priyanka, E-mail: dctiwari2001@yahoo.com [SOS Electronics, Jiwaji University, Gwalior (M.P.)-474011 (India); Sharma, R. [CSIR-CEERI, Pilani (Rajasthan)-333031 (India)

2014-04-24

Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) coated with polypyrrole nanocomposite was prepared by in-situ chemical oxidative polymerization method in the presence of surfactant (SLS). The scanning electron microscope (SEM) pictures indicate the core shell structure of PPy/MWCNT/SLS nanocomposite. Nature of the prepared material was investigated by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. This nanocomposite shows the excellent gas sensing behaviour for ammonia gas at 150 ppm and 300 ppm levels.

Ammonia vapor sensing properties of polyaniline-titanium(IV)phosphate cation exchange nanocomposite.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Asif Ali; Baig, Umair; Khalid, Mohd

2011-02-28

In this study, the electrically conducting polyaniline-titanium(IV)phosphate (PANI-TiP) cation exchange nanocomposite was synthesized by sol-gel method. The cation exchange nanocomposite based sensor for detection of ammonia vapors was developed at room temperature. It was revealed that the sensor showed good reversible response towards ammonia vapors ranging from 3 to 6%. It was found that the sensor with p-toluene sulphonic acid (p-TSA) doped exhibited higher sensing response than hydrochloric acid doped. This sensor has detection limit ≤1% ammonia. The response of resistivity changes of the cation exchange nanocomposite on exposure to different concentrations of ammonia vapors shows its utility as a sensing material. These studies suggest that the cation exchange nanocomposite could be a good material for ammonia sensor at room temperature. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Highly sensitive room temperature ammonia gas sensor based on Ir-doped Pt porous ceramic electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Wenlong [College of pharmacy and biological engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106 (China); Department of chemical and materials engineering, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Taichung 411, Taiwan (China); Liu, Yen-Yu [Department of chemical and materials engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan (China); Do, Jing-Shan, E-mail: jsdo@ncut.edu.tw [Department of chemical and materials engineering, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Taichung 411, Taiwan (China); Li, Jing, E-mail: lijing@cdu.edu.cn [College of pharmacy and biological engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106 (China)

2016-12-30

Highlights: • Water vapors seem to hugely improve the electrochemical activity of the Pt and Pt-Ir porous ceramic electrodes. • The gas sensors based on the Pt and Pt-Ir alloy electrodes possess good sensing performances. • The reaction path of the ammonia on platinum has been discussed. - Abstract: Room temperature NH{sub 3} gas sensors based on Pt and Pt-Ir (Ir doping Pt) porous ceramic electrodes have been fabricated by both electroplating and sputtering methods. The properties of the gaseous ammonia sensors have been examined by polarization and chronoamperometry techniques. The influence of humidity on the features of the resulting sensors in the system has also been discussed, and the working potential was optimized. Water vapors seem to hugely improve the electrochemical activity of the electrode. With increasing the relative humidity, the response of the Pt-Ir(E)/Pt(S)/PCP sensor to NH{sub 3} gas could be enhanced remarkably, and the sensitivity increases from 1.14 to 12.06 μA ppm{sup −1} cm{sup −2} .Then we have also discussed the sensing mechanism of the Pt-Ir sensor and the result has been confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the electrode surface before and after reaction in the end.

Nitrocarburising in ammonia-hydrocarbon gas mixtures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Hanne; Christiansen, Thomas; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2010-01-01

The present work investigates the possibility of nitrocarburising in ammonia-acetylene-hydrogen and ammoniapropene- hydrogen gas mixtures, where unsaturated hydrocarbon gas is the carbon source during nitrocarburising. Consequently, nitrocarburising is carried out in a reducing atmosphere...... microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. It is shown that the use of unsaturated hydrocarbon gas in nitrocarburising processes is a viable alternative to traditional nitrocarburising methods....

Ammonia detection of 1-D ZnO/polypyrrole nanocomposite: Effect of CSA doping and their structural, chemical, thermal and gas sensing behavior

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jain, Shilpa [Department of Chemistry, University of Mumbai, Santacruz (East), Mumbai-400098,India (India); Karmakar, Narayan [Department of Physics, University of Mumbai, Santacruz (East), Mumbai-400098,India (India); Shah, Akshara [Department of Chemistry, University of Mumbai, Santacruz (East), Mumbai-400098,India (India); Kothari, D.C. [Department of Physics, University of Mumbai, Santacruz (East), Mumbai-400098,India (India); National Centre for Nanosciences& Nanotechnology, University of Mumbai, Santacruz (East), Mumbai-400098,India (India); Mishra, Satyendra [University Institute of Chemical Technology, North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon (India); Shimpi, Navinchandra G, E-mail: navin_shimpi@rediffmail.com [Department of Chemistry, University of Mumbai, Santacruz (East), Mumbai-400098,India (India)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • Synthesis of 1-Dimensional ZnO-Polypyrrole nanocomposite using In-situ oxidative polymerization technique. • High response ammonia sensing. • Optimization of ZnO content in nanocomposites for maximum sensor response. • Effect of CSA doping on structural, thermal, optical and sensing behavior. • Optimization of CSA concentration for high sensitivity, fast response and recovery time. - Abstract: Nanocomposites of polypyrrole (PPy) with varying concentration of ZnO nanorods (ZnO NRs) were synthesized using in-situ oxidative polymerization technique. The prepared nanocomposites (PPy, PPy-ZnO and CSA doped PPy-ZnO) were studied for various oxidizing and reducing gases at room temperature and found to be more selective towards ammonia gas. Various concentrations of ZnO NRs in Ppy matrix were studied and 15% was found to be optimum in terms of sensor response (66% towards 120 ppm NH{sub 3}). Further, with 15% doping of camphor sulphonic acid (CSA) in PPy-ZnO nanocomposite for 15% ZnO NRs in Ppy matrix, sensor response increased from 66 to 79% towards 120 ppm of NH{sub 3}. Structural, Optical and thermal behavior of nanocomposites were studied using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), UV–vis (UV–vis) absorption spectroscopy, room temperature Photoluminescence (PL) Spectroscopy, Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). ZnO has been completely embedded inside the polymeric chains as observed from in SEM. Meanwhile, FT-IR spectra indicate better conjugation and interaction in nanocomposites. With CSA doping interaction grows stronger due to extended delocalization over π electrons leading to higher sensor response and with response time and recovery time of 24 s and 34 s respectively. CSA doped PPy-ZnO (15%) nanocomposites observed to be a potential candidate for ammonia detection at lower ppm level.

Ammonia gas permeability of meat packaging materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Karim, Faris; Hijaz, Faraj; Kastner, Curtis L; Smith, J Scott

2011-03-01

Meat products are packaged in polymer films designed to protect the product from exterior contaminants such as light, humidity, and harmful chemicals. Unfortunately, there is almost no data on ammonia permeability of packaging films. We investigated ammonia permeability of common meat packaging films: low-density polyethylene (LDPE; 2.2 mil), multilayer polyolefin (MLP; 3 mil), and vacuum (V-PA/PE; 3 mil, 0.6 mil polyamide/2.4 mil polyethylene). The films were fabricated into 10 × 5 cm pouches and filled with 50 mL deionized water. Pouches were placed in a plexiglass enclosure in a freezer and exposed to 50, 100, 250, or 500 ppm ammonia gas for 6, 12, 24, and 48 h at -17 ± 3 °C and 21 ± 3 °C. At freezing temperatures, no ammonia residues were detected and no differences in pH were found in the water. At room temperature, ammonia levels and pH of the water increased significantly (P packaging materials have low ammonia permeability and protect meat products exposed to ammonia leaks during frozen storage.

Synthesis and application of graphene–silver nanowires composite for ammonia gas sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tran, Quang Trung; Huynh, Tran My Hoa; Tong, Duc Tai; Tran, Van Tam; Nguyen, Nang Dinh

2013-01-01

Graphene, consisting of a single carbon layer in a two-dimensional (2D) lattice, has been a promising material for application to nanoelectrical devices in recent years. In this study we report the development of a useful ammonia (NH 3 ) gas sensor based on graphene–silver nanowires ‘composite’ with planar electrode structure. The basic strategy involves three steps: (i) preparation of graphene oxide (GO) by modified Hummers method; (ii) synthesis of silver nanowires by polyol method; and (iii) preparation of graphene and silver nanowires on two electrodes using spin and spray-coating of precursor solutions, respectively. Exposure of this sensor to NH 3 induces a reversible resistance change at room temperature that is as large as ΔR/R 0 ∼ 28% and this sensitivity is eight times larger than the sensitivity of the ‘intrinsic’ graphene based NH 3 gas sensor (ΔR/R 0 ∼ 3,5%). Their responses and the recovery times go down to ∼200 and ∼60 s, respectively. Because graphene synthesized by chemical methods has many defects and small sheets, it cannot be perfectly used for gas sensor or for nanoelectrical devices. The silver nanowires are applied to play the role of small bridges connecting many graphene islands together to improve electrical properties of graphene/silver nanowires composite and result in higher NH 3 gas sensitivity. (paper)

Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Ammonia Gas Sensor Based on PANI-PVA Blend Thin Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. B. DUPARE

2008-06-01

Full Text Available The polyaniline - polyvinyl alcohol blend films were synthesized by oxidative polymerization using chemical synthesis route. The polyaniline films were synthesized using optimized concentration of monomer aniline, hydrochloric acid as a dopant using ammonium peroxy-disulphate as a oxidant and insulating addative matrix polyvinyl alcohol on glass substrate for development of ammonia sensor. The formation of PANI- PVA blend films show good uniform surface morphology at 10ºc temperature, maintained at constant temperature bath. The synthesized PANI-PVA blend thin films were characterized by analyzing UV-Visible and FTIR spectra. The SEM study ensures that the thin films are uniform and porous in nature. The I-V characterization shows ohmic behaviour and also determines conductivity of the films. The response time of PANI-PVA blend thin films show that excellent behavior for 50-800 ppm and higher range of ammonia gas. This study reveals that PANI-PVA blend thin films provide a polymer matrix with very good mechanical strength, environmental stability, uniformity in surface, porous morphology and high conductivity, which are suitable for ammonia gas sensing.

Manufacture of a Polyaniline Nanofiber Ammonia Sensor Integrated with a Readout Circuit Using the CMOS-MEMS Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chyan-Chyi Wu

2009-02-01

Full Text Available This study presents the fabrication of a polyaniline nanofiber ammonia sensor integrated with a readout circuit on a chip using the commercial 0.35 mm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS process and a post-process. The micro ammonia sensor consists of a sensing resistor and an ammonia sensing film. Polyaniline prepared by a chemical polymerization method was adopted as the ammonia sensing film. The fabrication of the ammonia sensor needs a post-process to etch the sacrificial layers and to expose the sensing resistor, and then the ammonia sensing film is coated on the sensing resistor. The ammonia sensor, which is of resistive type, changes its resistance when the sensing film adsorbs or desorbs ammonia gas. A readout circuit is employed to convert the resistance of the ammonia sensor into the voltage output. Experimental results show that the sensitivity of the ammonia sensor is about 0.88 mV/ppm at room temperature

Fiber Optic Detection of Ammonia Gas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Kalvoda

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Bathochromic shifts accompanying the formation of several bivalent metallic complexes containing 5-(4’-dimethylaminophenylimino quinolin-8-one (L1, and 7-chlore-5(4’-diethylamino-2-methylphenylimino quinolin-8-one (L2 ligands in ethanol solutions were evaluated by VIS-NIR spectroscopy. The [L1-Cu-L1] sulphide complex was selected as a reagent for further tests on optical fibres. Samples of multimode siloxane-clad fused-silica fibre were sensitized by diffusing an ethanol/chloroform solution of the dye into the cladding polymer, and tested by VIS-NIR optical spectroscopy (12 cm long fibre sections, and optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR; 20 ns laser pulses, wavelength 850 nm, 120 m long fibre sensitized within the interval 104–110 m. A well-resolved absorption band of the reagent could be identified in the absorption spectra of the fibres. After exposure to dry ammonia/nitrogen gas with increasing ammonia concentration (0–4000 ppm, the short fibre samples showed subsequent decay of NIR optical absorption; saturation was observed for higher ammonia levels. The concentration resolution r ? 50 ppm and forward response time t90 ? 30 sec were obtained within the interval 0–1000 ppm. The OTDR courses showed an enhancement of the back-scattered light intensity coming from the sensitized region after diffusion of the initial reagent, and decay after exposure to concentrated ammonia/nitrogen gas (10000 ppm.

Nozzle-less Ultrasonic Spray Deposition for Flexible Ammonia and Ozone Gas Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mónica ACUAUTLA

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In the last years printing and flexible electronic is transforming the way we used electronic devices. Among these, special interest is given to the development of gas sensors for industrial and environmental applications. Nozzle-less ultrasonic spray deposition is a simple and precise technique, which offers good homogeneity and high quality of the sensitive thin film. In addition, it represents a potential fabrication process for flexible electronic with low cost production and low waste of material. In this paper, nanoparticles of zinc oxide were deposited by nozzle-less ultrasonic spray deposition on flexible substrate. The sensing properties towards reducing and oxidizing gases in function of the operational temperature are reported. The flexible platform consists in titanium/platinum interdigitated electrodes and a micro-heater device, both fabricated by lift-off and photolithography. The operating temperature of the sensor is also challenging in term of power consumption. It is allowing the reaction with the exposure gases. Most of the semiconducting metal oxide materials used for gas sensing applications require high temperatures above 250 °C. Flexible gas sensors fabricated in this work present good responses towards ammonia and ozone at 300 °C and 200 °C respectively, with fast response and recovery time in a wide range of gas concentration.

Hydrogen recovery by pressure swing adsorption. [From ammonia purge-gas streams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1979-06-01

A pressure swing absorption process (PSA) designed to recover H/sub 2/ from ammonia purge-gas streams developed by Bergbarr-Forschung GmbH of West Germany is reviewed. The PSA unit is installed in the process stream after the ammonia absorber unit which washes the ammonia-containing purge gas which consists of NH/sub 3/, H/sub 2/O, CH/sub 4/, Ar, N/sub 2/, and H/sub 2/. Usually 4 absorber units containing carbon molecular sieves make up the PSA unit; however, only one unit is generally used to absorb all components except H/sub 2/ while the other units are being regenerated by depressurization. Economic comparisons of the PSA process with a cryogenic process indicate that for some ammonia plants there may be a 30% saving in fuel gas requirements with the PSA system. The conditions of the purge gas strongly influence which system of recovery is more suitable.

A porous SiC ammonia sensor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Connolly, E.J.; Timmer, B.H.; Pham, H.T.M.; Groeneweg, J.; Sarro, P.M.; Olthuis, Wouter; French, P.J.

2005-01-01

When used as the dielectric in a capacitive sensing arrangement, porous SiC has been found to be extremely sensitive to the presence of ammonia (NH3) gas. The exact sensing method is still not clear, but NH3 levels as low as 0.5 ppm could be detected. We report the fabrication and preliminary

Capacitive Structures for Gas and Biological Sensing

KAUST Repository

Sapsanis, Christos

2015-04-01

The semiconductor industry was benefited by the advances in technology in the last decades. This fact has an impact on the sensors field, where the simple transducer was evolved into smart miniaturized multi-functional microsystems. However, commercially available gas and biological sensors are mostly bulky, expensive, and power-hungry, which act as obstacles to mass use. The aim of this work is gas and biological sensing using capacitive structures. Capacitive sensors were selected due to its design simplicity, low fabrication cost, and no DC power consumption. In the first part, the dominant structure among interdigitated electrodes (IDEs), fractal curves (Peano and Hilbert) and Archimedean spiral was investigated from capacitance density perspective. The investigation consists of geometrical formula calculations, COMSOL Multiphysics simulations and cleanroom fabrication of the capacitors on a silicon substrate. Moreover, low-cost fabrication on flexible plastic PET substrate was conducted outside cleanroom with rapid prototyping using a maskless laser etching. The second part contains the humidity, Volatile Organic compounds (VOCs) and Ammonia sensing of polymers, Polyimide and Nafion, and metal-organic framework (MOF), Cu(bdc)2.xH2O using IDEs and tested in an automated gas setup for experiment control and data extraction. The last part includes the biological sensing of C - reactive protein (CRP) quantification, which is considered as a biomarker of being prone to cardiac diseases and Bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein quantification, which is used as a reference for quantifying unknown proteins.

Abatement of ammonia emissions from digested manure using gas-permeable membranes

Science.gov (United States)

A new strategy to avoid ammonia emissions from anaerobically digested swine manure was tested using the gas-permeable membrane process. Evaluation of the efficiency of ammonia recovery from digestate as well as mitigation of ammonia emissions to the atmosphere were carried out. Digestate was colle...

Fabrication of interdigitated electrodes by inkjet printing technology for apllication in ammonia sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le, Duy Dam; Nguyen, Thi Ngoc Nhien; Doan, Duc Chanh Tin; Dang, Thi My Dung; Dang, Mau Chien

2016-01-01

In this paper interdigitated electrodes for gas sensors were fabricated by inkjet printing technology. Silver electrodes were inkjet printed on Si/SiO 2 substrates instead of traditional photolithography method. The inkjet printing parameters to obtain desired dimensions, thickness of the electrodes and distance between the interdigitated electrodes were optimized in this study. The fabricated interdigitated silver electrodes were tested for application in ammonia gas sensors. Conductive polyaniline (PANI) layer was coated on the silver interdigitated electrodes by drop-coating. Ammonia detection of the PANI-coated chips was characterized with a gas measurement system in which humidity and ammonia concentrations were well-controlled. The electrical conductivity of the PANI films coated on the electrodes was measured when the PANI films were exposed to nitrogen and ammonia. The conductivity of the PANI films decreased significantly due to the deprotonation process of PANI upon ammonia expodure. The recovery time was about 15 min by heating up the polymer chip at 60 °C. The results showed that the silver electrodes fabricated by inkjet printing technique could be used as a sensor platform for ammonia detection. (paper)

Sensing of low concentration of ammonia at room temperature by decorated multi-walled carbon nanotube: fabrication and characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Hasnahena, S. T.; Roy, M.

2018-01-01

A chemical sensor based on multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) decorated with densely populated thiol-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with sizes smaller than 3 nm for sensing low concentrations of ammonia gas is reported. The functionalized MWCNTs, subsequently decorated with AuNPs following an easy fabrication route were exposed to NH3 gas at the room temperature and the electrical resistance of the sensor changed upon exposure. The sensor also partially recovered the initial state after sensing in the normal air environment (without any dry air or N2 gas purge). The gold nanoparticles decoration is found to enhance the sensitivity and selectivity of MWCNT towards NH3 gas under ambient conditions with a reduced response and recovery time. The material was structurally characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. Thermal stability of the sensor till 574 °C was demonstrated by TGA analysis. This papers describes how thiol-capped AuNPs are uniformly decorated on the outer walls of the MWCNTs with a separation of 2-3 nm making use of the ionic nature of Au and how this uniform distribution of AuNPs increases the active sites for absorption of NH3 gas molecules leading to sensing its low concentrations.

Behavior of sheet-like crystalline ammonium trivanadate hemihydrate (NH4V3O8×0.5H2O) as a novel ammonia sensing material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leonardi, S.G.; Primerano, P.; Donato, N.; Neri, G.

2013-01-01

This work reports the use of ammonium trivanadate hemihydrate (NH 4 V 3 O 8 ×0.5H 2 O) as a novel sensing material for ammonia resistive sensors. It was prepared by a simple and fast hydrothermal method from V 2 O 5 as a precursor and characterized by SEM, FT-IR, XRD and TG techniques. The as-synthesized material showed a sheet-like morphology and was found thermally stable up to 250–280 °C. It reacted promptly and irreversibly when exposed to ammonia at room temperature. A full reversibility was instead registered undergoing the formed ammonia adduct at a temperature higher than 200 °C. A NH 4 V 3 O 8 ×0.5H 2 O-based resistive gas sensor was fabricated and its sensing properties were evaluated. Experimental results obtained have given a preliminary demonstration of the feasibility of using NH 4 V 3 O 8 ×0.5H 2 O as a novel ammonia sensing material since it yields several advantages including easy synthesis of the sensing layer, good sensitivity and reproducibility and fast response. - Graphical abstract: Sheet-like morphology of the synthesized trivanadate hemihydrate (NH 4 V 3 O 8 ×0.5H 2 O). Inset: Its electrical response to different ammonia concentrations in air. - Highlights: • A simple hydrothermal method for the fast synthesis of trivanadate hemihydrate (NH 4 V 3 O 8 ×0.5H 2 O) is reported. • Sheet particles could be obtained. • A preliminary demonstration of the feasibility of using NH 4 V 3 O 8 ×0.5H 2 O as a novel ammonia sensing material is presented

Ammonia gas transport and reactions in unsaturated sediments: Implications for use as an amendment to immobilize inorganic contaminants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong, L.; Szecsody, J.E.; Truex, M.J.; Williams, M.D.; Liu, Y.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Ammonia transport can be predicted from gas movement and equilibrium partitioning. • Ammonia diffusion rate in unsaturated sediment is a function of water contents. • High pH induced by ammonia causes mineral dissolution and sequential precipitation. • Ammonia treatment effectively immobilized uranium from contaminated sediments. - Abstract: Use of gas-phase amendments for in situ remediation of inorganic contaminants in unsaturated sediments of the vadose zone may be advantageous, but there has been limited development and testing of gas remediation technologies. Treatment with ammonia gas has a potential for use in treating inorganic contaminants (such as uranium) because it induces a high pore-water pH, causing mineral dissolution and subsequent formation of stable precipitates that decrease the mobility of some contaminants. For field application of this treatment, further knowledge of ammonia transport in porous media and the geochemical reactions induced by ammonia treatment is needed. Laboratory studies were conducted to support calculations needed for field treatment design, to quantify advective and diffusive ammonia transport in unsaturated sediments, to evaluate inter-phase (gas/sediment/pore water) reactions, and to study reaction-induced pore-water chemistry changes as a function of ammonia delivery conditions, such as flow rate, gas concentration, and water content. Uranium-contaminated sediment was treated with ammonia gas to demonstrate U immobilization. Ammonia gas quickly partitions into sediment pore water and increases the pH up to 13.2. Injected ammonia gas advection front movement can be reasonably predicted by gas flow rate and equilibrium partitioning. The ammonia gas diffusion rate is a function of the water content in the sediment. Sodium, aluminum, and silica pore-water concentrations increase upon exposure to ammonia and then decline as aluminosilicates precipitate when the pH declines due to buffering. Up to 85% of

Effect of SiO2 Overlayer on WO3 Sensitivity to Ammonia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vibha Srivastava

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Ammonia gas sensing properties of tungsten trioxide thick film sensor was investigated. The doping of noble catalysts such as Pt, Pd, Au enhanced the gas sensitivity. Platinum doping was found to result in highest sensitivity. Remarkable sensitivity enhancement was realized by coating WO3 thick film sensors with SiO2 overlayer. Sol gel process derived silica overlayer increased ammonia gas sensitivity for doped as well as undoped sensor.

Recovery of ammonia and phosphate minerals from swine wastewater using gas-permeable membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Gas-permeable membrane technology is useful to recover ammonia from liquid manures. In this study, phosphorus (P) recovery via magnesium chloride precipitation was enhanced by combining it with ammonia recovery through gas-permeable membranes. Anaerobically digested swine effluent containing approx...

Efficient Total Nitrogen Removal in an Ammonia Gas Biofilter through High-Rate OLAND

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Clippeleir, Haydée; Courtens, Emilie; Mosquera, Mariela

2012-01-01

Ammonia gas is conventionally treated in nitrifying biofilters; however, addition of organic carbon to perform post-denitrification is required to obtain total nitrogen removal. Oxygen-limited autotrophic nitrification/denitrification (OLAND), applied in full-scale for wastewater treatment, can...... offer a cost-effective alternative for gas treatment. In this study, the OLAND application thus was broadened toward ammonia loaded gaseous streams. A down flow, oxygen-saturated biofilter (height of 1.5 m; diameter of 0.11 m) was fed with an ammonia gas stream (248 ± 10 ppmv) at a loading rate of 0...... at water flow rates of 1.3 ± 0.4 m3 m–2 biofilter section d–1. Profile measurements revealed that 91% of the total nitrogen activity was taking place in the top 36% of the filter. This study demonstrated for the first time highly effective and sustainable autotrophic ammonia removal in a gas biofilter...

Structural, optical and gas sensing properties of screen-printed nanostructured Sr-doped SnO2 thick film sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaikh, F.I.; Chikhale, L.P.; Patil, J.Y.; Rajgure, A.V.; Suryavanshi, S.S.; Mulla, I.S.

2013-01-01

The nanocrystalline materials of strontium doped tin oxide powders were synthesized by conventional co-precipitation method. Synthesized nanophase SnO 2 powders were used to fabricate thick films of pure and Sr-doped SnO 2 using screen-printing technology and investigated for their gas sensing properties towards LPG, ethanol, ammonia and acetone vapor. The crystal structure and phase of the sintered powders were characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and microstructure by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All the doped and undoped SnO 2 compositions revealed single phase and solid solution formation. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) results indicated that well crystallized Sr-doped SnO 2 particles of size about 10 nm were obtained at sintering temperature 700℃. The optical properties viz. UV-Vis, FTIR and Raman were used to characterize various physico-chemical properties of samples. The reduction of grain size in metal oxide is a key factor to enhance the gas sensing properties. The doping of Sr in SnO 2 has reduced the grain size and improved the gas response. The results of gas sensing measurements showed that the thick films deposited on alumina substrates using screen-printing technique exhibited high gas response, quick response time and fast recovery time to acetone gas at a working temperature of 250℃. Further, the selectivity of sensor towards acetone with respect to other reducing gases (LPG, ethanol, ammonia) was studied. (author)

Development of absorption fiber optic sensor for distributed measurement of ammonia gas

Science.gov (United States)

Aubrecht, J.; Kalvoda, L.

2013-05-01

Polymer-clad silica optical fibers are employed for development of different absorption optic fiber sensors of gaseous analytes. In our case, the physical principles of the detection are combined with a chemical reaction between analyte and suitable opto-chemical absorption reagents. Selected organometallic complex reagents with different lengths of lateral aliphatic chains are studied with respect to the type of central ions and their coordinative conditions to surrounding ligands. The effect of solvent type on solubility and the long-term stability of the prepared reagents in solid matrix are presented and discussed. Various methods are also tested in order to achieve an effective reagent immobilization into the polymer matrix, which creates optical fiber cladding. The chemical reaction of the reagents with ammonia based on ligand exchange process is accompanied by changes of visible-near-infrared optical absorption influencing via evanescent field on the guided light intensity. Experimental results suggest that the selected reagents provide optical properties suitable for practical sensing applications and that the sensitized PCS optical fibers could be used for detection of ammonia gas.

Gas desorption properties of ammonia borane and metal hydride composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matin, M.R.

2009-01-01

'Full text': Ammonia borane (NH 3 BH 3 ) has been of great interest owing to its ideal combination of low molecular weight and high H 2 storage capacity of 19.6 mass %, which exceeds the current capacity of gasoline. DOE's year 2015 targets involve gravimetric as well as volumetric energy densities. In this work, we have investigated thermal decomposition of ammonia borane and calcium hydride composites at different molar ratio. The samples were prepared by planetary ball milling under hydrogen gas atmosphere pressure of 1Mpa at room temperature for 2, and 10 hours. The gas desorption properties were examined by thermal desorption mass spectroscopy (TDMS). The identification of phases was carried out by X-ray diffraction. The results obtain were shown in fig (a),(b),and (c). Hydrogen desorption properties were observed at all molar ratios, but the desorption temperature is significantly lower at around 70 o C at molar ratio 1:1 as shown in fig (c), and unwanted gas (ammonia) emissions were remarkably suppressed by mixing with the calcium hydride. (author)

Basics of ammonia slip measurement at the flue gas exit of boilers; Grundlagen zur Ammoniak-Schlupfmessung am Kesselende

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krueger, Sascha [IBK-Verfahrenstechnik, Bad Berka (Germany); Krueger, Joerg [VWT Ing.-Buero, Schwandorf (Germany); Karau, Friedrich [Industrieberatung Karau, Wetzlar (Germany)

2013-09-01

When using SNCR in WtE-, biomass- and RDF combustion plants, it is not only the reduction rate of nitrogen oxide in the flue gas which is important to control but also the adherence to the limiting values for ammonia slip. Ammonia concentration in the flue gas upstream of stack is of course always in the operators' focus as limiting values have to be hold. Measuring ammonia in the flue gas downstream of boiler is not trivial due to behaviour of ammonia which occurs in bonded state (compounds) in significant amounts also at flue gas temperatures above 400 C. Ammonia compounds can occur on one hand as chemical compounds e.g. to chlorine as ammonium chlorine (chemical bonding) and on the other hand they can occur bonded to surfaces (physically adsorbed). Basic additives of the dry and quasi dry flue gas treatment cause the fractional release of bounded ammonia, therefore, after flue gas treatment, the ammonia slip can be partially measured. (orig.)

Measuring ammonia content in flue gas. Maaling af ammoniak i roeggas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nielsen, P. R.

1988-05-15

As ammonia is utilized in the desulfurization of emission from power plants, there is a standing need for efficient instruments for measuring ammonia content in flue gas. Analysis is hampered by the tendency of ammonia to be adsorbed on solid surfaces when temperatures are under 350 deg. C., and to form ammonium sulfate and ammonium bisulfate when combined with sulfur oxides. A number of measuring principles and systems are described in connection with extraction systems, and the immediate removal of sulfur oxides from flue gas is recommended. At the present time (May 1988) the only efficient measuring principle seems to be infrared gas filter correlation, IR-GFC, which has been demonstrated in extraction systems, but the principle can also be used in in-situ analysis, and here the serious problem of how to keep the extraction system operating under very high temperatures is thus eliminated. High temperatures could solve the problems of adsorption and bisulfate formation in extraction systems with regard to power plants. (AB).

Ammonia sensing properties of silver nanocomposite with polypyrrole

Science.gov (United States)

Karmakar, N. S.; Kothari, D. C.; Bhat, N. V.

2013-02-01

Silver-polypyrrole nanocomposite thin film was prepared by a novel method. UV-Vis spectroscopic studies confirmed the presence of silver nanoparticles and also polymerization of pyrrole surrounding the silver nanoparticles. All the important X-ray diffraction peaks corresponding to silver were present in the composites. The silver nanoparticles and its composites with polypyrrole were observed by SEM and TEM. Electrical conductivity measurements were carried out using two probe method and it was found that the conductivity of nanocomposites is 10-5 S/cm. It was found that functionalized silver nanoparticles can act as efficient gas sensor for ammonia. The present result of the increase in conductivity with ammonia exposure is in contrast with the previously reported results of the decrease in conductivity.

Methanol Gas-Sensing Properties of SWCNT-MIP Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jin; Zhu, Qin; Zhang, Yumin; Zhu, Zhongqi; Liu, Qingju

2016-11-01

The single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)-molecularly imprinted powder (MIP) composites in this paper were prepared by mixing SWCNTs with MIPs. The structure and micrograph of the as-prepared SWCNTs-MIPs samples were characterized by XRD and TEM. The gas-sensing properties were tested through indirect-heating sensors based on SWCNT-MIP composites fabricating on an alumina tube with Au electrodes and Pt wires. The results showed that the structure of SWCNTs-MIPs is of orthogonal perovskite and the average particle size of the SWCNTs-MIPs was in the range of 10-30 nm. SWCNTs-MIPs exhibit good methanol gas-sensitive properties. At 90 °C, the response to 1 ppm methanol is 19.7, and the response to the interferent is lower than 5 to the other interferent gases (ethanol, formaldehyde, toluene, acetone, ammonia, and gasoline). The response time and recovery time are 50 and 58 s, respectively.

Plasmophore sensitized imaging of ammonia release from biological tissues using optodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stroemberg, Niklas; Hakonen, Aron

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A plasmophore sensitized optode for imaging ammonia (NH 3 ) concentrations in muscle tissues was developed. → Ammonia concentrations ranging from 10 nM and upwards can be quantified reversibly with an optical resolution of 127 μm. → The general sensing scheme offers new possibilities for the development of artificial optical noses and tongues. - Abstract: A plasmophore sensitized optode was developed for imaging ammonia (NH 3 ) concentrations in muscle tissues. The developed ammonia sensor and an equivalent non plasmophore version of the sensor were tested side by side to compare their limit of detection, dynamic range, reversibility and overall imaging quality. Bio-degradation patterns of ammonia release from lean porcine skeletal muscle were studied over a period of 11 days. We demonstrate that ammonia concentrations ranging from 10 nM can be quantified reversibly with an optical resolution of 127 μm in a sample area of 25 mm x 35 mm. The plasmophore ammonia optode showed improved reversibility, less false pixels and a 2 nM ammonia detection limit compared to 200 nM for the non-plasmophore sensor. Main principles of the sensing mechanism include ammonia transfer over a gas permeable film, ammonia protonation, nonactin facilitated merocyanine-ammonium coextraction and plasmophore enhancement. The vast signal improvement is suggested to rely on solvatochroism, nanoparticle scattering and plasmonic interactions that are utilized constructively in a fluorescence ratio. In addition to fundamental medicinal and biological research applications in tissue physiology, reversible ammonia quantification will be possible for a majority of demanding imaging and non imaging applications such as monitoring of low ammonia background concentrations in air and non-invasive medicinal diagnosis through medical breath or saliva analysis. The nanoparticle doped sensor constitutes a highly competitive technique for ammonia sensing in complex matrixes and the

Surface functionalization of epitaxial graphene on SiC by ion irradiation for gas sensing application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaushik, Priya Darshni, E-mail: kaushik.priyadarshni@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping (Sweden); Department of Physics, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025 (India); Ivanov, Ivan G.; Lin, Pin-Cheng [Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping (Sweden); Kaur, Gurpreet [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007 (India); Eriksson, Jens [Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping (Sweden); Lakshmi, G.B.V.S. [Inter-University Accelerator Centre, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067 (India); Avasthi, D.K. [Inter-University Accelerator Centre, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067 (India); Amity Institute of Nanotechnology, Noida 201313 (India); Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007 (India); Aziz, Anver; Siddiqui, Azher M. [Department of Physics, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025 (India); Syväjärvi, Mikael [Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping (Sweden); Yazdi, G. Reza, E-mail: yazdi@ifm.liu.se [Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linköping University, SE-58183 Linköping (Sweden)

2017-05-01

Highlights: • For the first time the gas sensing application of SHI irradiated epitaxial graphene on SiC is explored. • Surface morphology of irradiated graphene layers showed graphene folding, hillocks, and formation of wrinkles. • Existence of an optimal fluence which maximize the gas sensing response towards NO{sub 2} and NH{sub 3} gases. - Abstract: In this work, surface functionalization of epitaxial graphene grown on silicon carbide was performed by ion irradiation to investigate their gas sensing capabilities. Swift heavy ion irradiation using 100 MeV silver ions at four varying fluences was implemented on epitaxial graphene to investigate morphological and structural changes and their effects on the gas sensing capabilities of graphene. Sensing devices are expected as one of the first electronic applications using graphene and most of them use functionalized surfaces to tailor a certain function. In our case, we have studied irradiation as a tool to achieve functionalization. Morphological and structural changes on epitaxial graphene layers were investigated by atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Raman mapping and reflectance mapping. The surface morphology of irradiated graphene layers showed graphene folding, hillocks, and formation of wrinkles at highest fluence (2 × 10{sup 13} ions/cm{sup 2}). Raman spectra analysis shows that the graphene defect density is increased with increasing fluence, while Raman mapping and reflectance mapping show that there is also a reduction of monolayer graphene coverage. The samples were investigated for ammonia and nitrogen dioxide gas sensing applications. Sensors fabricated on pristine and irradiated samples showed highest gas sensing response at an optimal fluence. Our work provides new pathways for introducing defects in controlled manner in epitaxial graphene, which can be used not only for gas sensing application but also for other applications, such as electrochemical, biosensing, magnetosensing and

Surface functionalization of epitaxial graphene on SiC by ion irradiation for gas sensing application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaushik, Priya Darshni; Ivanov, Ivan G.; Lin, Pin-Cheng; Kaur, Gurpreet; Eriksson, Jens; Lakshmi, G.B.V.S.; Avasthi, D.K.; Gupta, Vinay; Aziz, Anver; Siddiqui, Azher M.; Syväjärvi, Mikael; Yazdi, G. Reza

2017-01-01

Highlights: • For the first time the gas sensing application of SHI irradiated epitaxial graphene on SiC is explored. • Surface morphology of irradiated graphene layers showed graphene folding, hillocks, and formation of wrinkles. • Existence of an optimal fluence which maximize the gas sensing response towards NO_2 and NH_3 gases. - Abstract: In this work, surface functionalization of epitaxial graphene grown on silicon carbide was performed by ion irradiation to investigate their gas sensing capabilities. Swift heavy ion irradiation using 100 MeV silver ions at four varying fluences was implemented on epitaxial graphene to investigate morphological and structural changes and their effects on the gas sensing capabilities of graphene. Sensing devices are expected as one of the first electronic applications using graphene and most of them use functionalized surfaces to tailor a certain function. In our case, we have studied irradiation as a tool to achieve functionalization. Morphological and structural changes on epitaxial graphene layers were investigated by atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Raman mapping and reflectance mapping. The surface morphology of irradiated graphene layers showed graphene folding, hillocks, and formation of wrinkles at highest fluence (2 × 10"1"3 ions/cm"2). Raman spectra analysis shows that the graphene defect density is increased with increasing fluence, while Raman mapping and reflectance mapping show that there is also a reduction of monolayer graphene coverage. The samples were investigated for ammonia and nitrogen dioxide gas sensing applications. Sensors fabricated on pristine and irradiated samples showed highest gas sensing response at an optimal fluence. Our work provides new pathways for introducing defects in controlled manner in epitaxial graphene, which can be used not only for gas sensing application but also for other applications, such as electrochemical, biosensing, magnetosensing and spintronic

Electrospun V2O5 composite fibers: Synthesis, characterization and ammonia sensing properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modafferi, V.; Trocino, S.; Donato, A.; Panzera, G.; Neri, G.

2013-01-01

In the present work, vanadium oxide (V 2 O 5 ) fibers have been investigated for monitoring ammonia (NH 3 ) at ppb levels in air. A simple sol gel-based electrospinning process has been applied for the synthesis of vanadium oxide/polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) and vanadium oxide/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) composite fibers. Composite fibers doped with platinum (Pt) have been also prepared. The pure and Pt-doped metal oxide phase has been subsequently obtained by removing the polymer binder at high temperature in air. The samples have been widely studied to characterize their morphological and microstructural properties by X-Ray Diffraction, Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy investigations. The application of the produced fibers in highly sensitive ammonia resistive sensors has been demonstrated. The influence of the nature of polymer binder and platinum addition on the sensing performances of the V 2 O 5 fibers has been investigated and discussed.V 2 O 5 fibers produced by using PVP as a polymer binder have shown higher sensitivity toward ammonia at ppb concentrations than fibers obtained with PVAc. Pt-doped samples have shown a lower response compared to un-doped samples. - Highlights: • Synthesis of vanadium oxide composite fibers by electrospinning • Physical and chemical characterization of prepared samples • Investigation of the sensing properties to ppb concentrations of ammonia in air

Simple Synthesis of ZnCo2O4 Nanoparticles as Gas-sensing Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. V. Bangale

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Semiconductive nanometer-size material ZnCo2O4 was synthesized by a solution combustion reaction of inorganic reagents of Zn(NO33. 6H2O, Co(NO33.6H2O and glycine as a fuel. The process was a convenient, environment friendly, inexpensive and efficient preparation method for the ZnCo2O4 nanomaterial. The synthesized materials were characterized by TG/DTA, XRD, EDX, SEM, and TEM. Conductance responses of the nanocrystalline ZnCo2O4 thick film were measured by exposing the film to reducing gases like Acetone, Ethanol, Ammonia (NH3, Hydrogen (H2, Hydrogen sulphide (H2S, Chlorine (Cl2 and Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG. It was found that the sensors exhibited various sensing responses to these gases at different operating temperature. Furthermore, the sensor exhibited a fast response and a good recovery. The results demonstrated that ZnCo2O4 can be used as a new type of gas-sensing material which has a high sensitivity and good selectivity to Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG at 100 ppm.

Enhanced recovery of ammonia from swine manure anaerobic digester effluent using gas-permeable membranes and aeration

Science.gov (United States)

Atmospheric ammonia pollution from livestock wastes can be reduced using gas-permeable membrane technology by converting ammonia contained in the manure into ammonium salt for use in fertilizers. In this study, gas-permeable membrane technology was enhanced using aeration combined with nitrificatio...

Anodic ammonia oxidation to nitrogen gas catalyzed by mixed biofilms in bioelectrochemical systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhan, Guoqiang; Zhang, Lixia; Tao, Yong; Wang, Yujian; Zhu, Xiaoyu; Li, Daping

2014-01-01

In this paper we report ammonia oxidation to nitrogen gas using microbes as biocatalyst on the anode, with polarized electrode (+600 mV vs. Ag/AgCl) as electron acceptor. In batch experiments, the maximal rate of ammonia-N oxidation by the mixed culture was ∼ 60 mg L −1 d −1 , and nitrogen gas was the main products in anode compartment. Cyclic voltammetry for testing the electroactivity of the anodic biofilms revealed that an oxidation peak appeared at +600 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl), whereas the electrode without biofilms didn’t appear oxidation peak, indicating that the bioanode had good electroactivities for ammonia oxidation. Microbial community analysis of 16S rRNA genes based on high throughput sequencing indicated that the combination of the dominant genera of Nitrosomonas, Comamonas and Paracocus could be important for the electron transfer from ammonia oxidation to anode

Removal and recovery of ammonia from livestock wastewater using hydrophobic gas-permeable membranes

Science.gov (United States)

The costs of fertilizers have rapidly increased in recent years, especially nitrogen fertilizer such as anhydrous ammonia which is made from natural gas. Thus, new treatment technologies for abatement of ammonia emissions in livestock operations are being focused on nitrogern (N) recovery in additio...

Synthesis and evaluation of gas sensing properties of PANI based graphene oxide nanocomposites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaikwad, Ganesh; Patil, Pritam; Patil, Devidas; Naik, Jitendra

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Developed GO, ZnO, PANI nanocomposites. • Evaluated for effect of GO addition on gas sensing performance. • Performed ammonia gas sensing at room temperature. • Obtained excellent recovery time of gas sensor. - Abstract: Polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers and Polyaniline/Graphene Oxide (PANI/GO), Polyaniline/Graphene Oxide/Zinc Oxide (PANI/GO/ZnO) nanocomposites were successfully prepared by nanoemulsion method. The synthesized nanofibers and nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), has showed the evidence of interaction between PANI nanofibers, GO nanosheets and ZnO nanoparticles, respectively. PANI nanofibers and nanocomposites were used for the sensing of NH_3_, LPG, CO_2 and H_2S gases respectively at room temperature. It was observed that the PANI nanofibers and PANI/GO, PANI/GO/ZnO nanocomposites with different weight ratios of ZnO and GO had better selectivity and sensitivity towards NH_3 at room temperature. Best performance was shown by PANI/GO/ZnO nanocomposite response of 5.706 (10.3 times better response than PANI sensor) for 1000 ppm NH_3 at 80 ± 1 °C with the recovery time of 1 min 30 s only.

Synthesis and evaluation of gas sensing properties of PANI based graphene oxide nanocomposites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaikwad, Ganesh [Department of Chemical Engineering, University Institute of Chemical Technology, North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon 425001, Maharashtra (India); Patil, Pritam [SVMIT, College of Engineering, Bharuch 392001, Gujarat (India); Patil, Devidas [Bulk and Nanomaterials Research Laboratory, Rani Laxmibai Mahavidyalaya Parola, Jalgaon 425111, Maharashtra (India); Naik, Jitendra, E-mail: jbnaik@nmu.ac.in [Department of Chemical Engineering, University Institute of Chemical Technology, North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon 425001, Maharashtra (India)

2017-04-15

Highlights: • Developed GO, ZnO, PANI nanocomposites. • Evaluated for effect of GO addition on gas sensing performance. • Performed ammonia gas sensing at room temperature. • Obtained excellent recovery time of gas sensor. - Abstract: Polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers and Polyaniline/Graphene Oxide (PANI/GO), Polyaniline/Graphene Oxide/Zinc Oxide (PANI/GO/ZnO) nanocomposites were successfully prepared by nanoemulsion method. The synthesized nanofibers and nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), has showed the evidence of interaction between PANI nanofibers, GO nanosheets and ZnO nanoparticles, respectively. PANI nanofibers and nanocomposites were used for the sensing of NH{sub 3,} LPG, CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}S gases respectively at room temperature. It was observed that the PANI nanofibers and PANI/GO, PANI/GO/ZnO nanocomposites with different weight ratios of ZnO and GO had better selectivity and sensitivity towards NH{sub 3} at room temperature. Best performance was shown by PANI/GO/ZnO nanocomposite response of 5.706 (10.3 times better response than PANI sensor) for 1000 ppm NH{sub 3} at 80 ± 1 °C with the recovery time of 1 min 30 s only.

Temperature impact on SO2 removal efficiency by ammonia gas scrubbing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Boshu; Zheng Xianyu; Wen Yan; Tong Huiling; Chen Meiqian; Chen Changhe

2003-01-01

Emissions reduction in industrial processes, i.e. clean production, is an essential requirement for sustainable development. Fossil fuel combustion is the main emission source for gas pollutants, such as NO X , SO 2 and CO 2 , and coal is now a primary energy source used worldwide with coal combustion being the greatest atmospheric pollution source in China. This paper analyzes flue gas cleaning by ammonia scrubbing (FGCAS) for power plants to remove gaseous pollutants, such as NO X , SO 2 and CO 2 , and presents the conceptual zero emission design for power plants. The byproducts from the FGCAS process can be used in agriculture or for gas recovery. Experimental results presented for SO 2 removal from the simulated flue gas in a continuous flow experiment, which was similar to an actual flue gas system, showed that the effectiveness of the ammonia injection or scrubbing depends on the temperature. The FGCAS process can effectively remove SO 2 , but the process temperature should be below 60 deg. C or above 80 deg. C for SO 2 reduction by NH 3 scrubbing

Dynamic Control of Adsorption Sensitivity for Photo-EMF-Based Ammonia Gas Sensors Using a Wireless Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuriy Vashpanov

2011-11-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes an adsorption sensitivity control method that uses a wireless network and illumination light intensity in a photo-electromagnetic field (EMF-based gas sensor for measurements in real time of a wide range of ammonia concentrations. The minimum measurement error for a range of ammonia concentration from 3 to 800 ppm occurs when the gas concentration magnitude corresponds with the optimal intensity of the illumination light. A simulation with LabView-engineered modules for automatic control of a new intelligent computer system was conducted to improve measurement precision over a wide range of gas concentrations. This gas sensor computer system with wireless network technology could be useful in the chemical industry for automatic detection and measurement of hazardous ammonia gas levels in real time.

Improved [13N]ammonia yield from the proton irradiation of water using methane gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krasikova, R.N.; Fedorova, O.S.; Korsakov, M.V.; Landmeier Bennington, B.; Berridge, M.S.

1999-01-01

Production of N-13 ammonia directly in the cyclotron target has previously been accomplished by use of hydrogen pressurization or by addition of organic compounds, chiefly ethanol. All methods enjoy limited success and then either fail to produce ammonia at high beam dose, or require very high pressures to maintain ammonia production. We report that low-pressure methane gas in the target results in production of radiochemically pure ammonia throughout the feasible range of target irradiation conditions

Ammonia concentration modeling based on retained gas sampler data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terrones, G.; Palmer, B.J.; Cuta, J.M.

1997-09-01

The vertical ammonia concentration distributions determined by the retained gas sampler (RGS) apparatus were modeled for double-shell tanks (DSTs) AW-101, AN-103, AN-104, and AN-105 and single-shell tanks (SSTs) A-101, S-106, and U-103. One the vertical transport of ammonia in the tanks were used for the modeling. Transport in the non-convective settled solids and floating solids layers is assumed to occur primarily via some type of diffusion process, while transport in the convective liquid layers is incorporated into the model via mass transfer coefficients based on empirical correlations. Mass transfer between the top of the waste and the tank headspace and the effects of ventilation of the headspace are also included in the models. The resulting models contain a large number of parameters, but many of them can be determined from known properties of the waste configuration or can be estimated within reasonable bounds from data on the waste samples themselves. The models are used to extract effective diffusion coefficients for transport in the nonconvective layers based on the measured values of ammonia from the RGS apparatus. The modeling indicates that the higher concentrations of ammonia seen in bubbles trapped inside the waste relative to the ammonia concentrations in the tank headspace can be explained by a combination of slow transport of ammonia via diffusion in the nonconvective layers and ventilation of the tank headspace by either passive or active means. Slow transport by diffusion causes a higher concentration of ammonia to build up deep within the waste until the concentration gradients between the interior and top of the waste are sufficient to allow ammonia to escape at the same rate at which it is being generated in the waste

Recovery of ammonia from swine manure using gas-permeable membranes: Effect of aeration

Science.gov (United States)

Gas-permeable membranes can recover ammonia from manure, reducing pollution whilst converting ammonia into ammonium salt fertilizer. The process involves manure pH control to increase ammonium (NH4) recovery rate that is normally carried out using an alkali. In this study a new strategy to avoid the...

AMMONIA REMOVAL AND NITROUS OXIDE PRODUCTION IN GAS-PHASE COMPOST BIOFILTERS

Science.gov (United States)

Biofiltration technology is widely utilized for treating ammonia gas (NH3), with one of its potential detrimental by-products being nitrous oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas approximately 300 times more reactive to infrared than CO2. The present work intends to provide the relation between NH3 removal d...

Gas sensing based on detection of light radiation from a region of modified cladding (nanocrystalline ZnO) of an optical fiber

Science.gov (United States)

Devendiran, S.; Sastikumar, D.

2017-03-01

A new type of fiber optic gas sensor is proposed by detecting a light radiated from a region of cladding modified with metal oxide (nanocrystalline ZnO). The intensity of radiated light is found to vary with different gasses and concentrations. Sensing characteristics are studied for ammonia, methanol, ethanol and acetone gasses. Gas sensitivity of the proposed sensor is compared with clad-modified fiber optic gas sensor. The new sensor exhibits enhanced sensitivity. Time response characteristics of the sensor are reported.

Remediation of Uranium in the Hanford Vadose Zone Using Ammonia Gas: FY 2010 Laboratory-Scale Experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szecsody, James E.; Truex, Michael J.; Zhong, Lirong; Qafoku, Nikolla; Williams, Mark D.; McKinley, James P.; Wang, Zheming; Bargar, John; Faurie, Danielle K.; Resch, Charles T.; Phillips, Jerry L.

2010-12-01

This investigation is focused on refining an in situ technology for vadose zone remediation of uranium by the addition of ammonia (NH3) gas. Objectives are to: a) refine the technique of ammonia gas treatment of low water content sediments to minimize uranium mobility by changing uranium surface phases (or coat surface phases), b) identify the geochemical changes in uranium surface phases during ammonia gas treatment, c) identify broader geochemical changes that occur in sediment during ammonia gas treatment, and d) predict and test injection of ammonia gas for intermediate-scale systems to identify process interactions that occur at a larger scale and could impact field scale implementation.Overall, NH3 gas treatment of low-water content sediments appears quite effective at decreasing aqueous, adsorbed uranium concentrations. The NH3 gas treatment is also fairly effective for decreasing the mobility of U-carbonate coprecipitates, but shows mixed success for U present in Na-boltwoodite. There are some changes in U-carbonate surface phases that were identified by surface phase analysis, but no changes observed for Na-boltwoodite. It is likely that dissolution of sediment minerals (predominantly montmorillonite, muscovite, kaolinite) under the alkaline conditions created and subsequent precipitation as the pH returns to natural conditions coat some of the uranium surface phases, although a greater understanding of these processes is needed to predict the long term impact on uranium mobility. Injection of NH3 gas into sediments at low water content (1% to 16% water content) can effectively treat a large area without water addition, so there is little uranium mobilization (i.e., transport over cm or larger scale) during the injection phase.

Remediation of Uranium in the Hanford Vadose Zone Using Ammonia Gas: FY 2010 Laboratory-Scale Experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szecsody, James E.; Truex, Michael J.; Zhong, Lirong; Qafoku, Nikolla; Williams, Mark D.; McKinley, James P.; Wang, Zheming; Bargar, John; Faurie, Danielle K.; Resch, Charles T.; Phillips, Jerry L.

2010-01-01

This investigation is focused on refining an in situ technology for vadose zone remediation of uranium by the addition of ammonia (NH3) gas. Objectives are to: (a) refine the technique of ammonia gas treatment of low water content sediments to minimize uranium mobility by changing uranium surface phases (or coat surface phases), (b) identify the geochemical changes in uranium surface phases during ammonia gas treatment, (c) identify broader geochemical changes that occur in sediment during ammonia gas treatment, and (d) predict and test injection of ammonia gas for intermediate-scale systems to identify process interactions that occur at a larger scale and could impact field scale implementation. Overall, NH3 gas treatment of low-water content sediments appears quite effective at decreasing aqueous, adsorbed uranium concentrations. The NH3 gas treatment is also fairly effective for decreasing the mobility of U-carbonate coprecipitates, but shows mixed success for U present in Na-boltwoodite. There are some changes in U-carbonate surface phases that were identified by surface phase analysis, but no changes observed for Na-boltwoodite. It is likely that dissolution of sediment minerals (predominantly montmorillonite, muscovite, kaolinite) under the alkaline conditions created and subsequent precipitation as the pH returns to natural conditions coat some of the uranium surface phases, although a greater understanding of these processes is needed to predict the long term impact on uranium mobility. Injection of NH3 gas into sediments at low water content (1% to 16% water content) can effectively treat a large area without water addition, so there is little uranium mobilization (i.e., transport over cm or larger scale) during the injection phase.

Design of flexible PANI-coated CuO-TiO2-SiO2 heterostructure nanofibers with high ammonia sensing response values

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Zengyuan; Nie, Qingxin; Lv, Pengfei; Yu, Jian; Huang, Fenglin; Wei, Qufu

2017-06-01

We report a room-temperature ammonia sensor with extra high response values and ideal flexibility, including polyaniline (PANI)-coated titanium dioxide-silicon dioxide (TiO2-SiO2) or copper oxide-titanium dioxide-silicon dioxide (CuO-TiO2-SiO2) composite nanofibers. Such flexible inorganic TiO2-SiO2 and CuO-TiO2-SiO2 composite nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning, followed by calcination. Then, in situ polymerization of aniline monomers was carried out with inorganic TiO2-SiO2 and CuO-TiO2-SiO2 composite nanofibers as templates. Gas sensing tests at room temperature indicated that the obtained CuO-TiO2-SiO2/PANI composite nanofibers had much higher response values to ammonia gas (ca. 45.67-100 ppm) than most of those reported before as well as the prepared TiO2-SiO2/PANI composite nanofibers here. These excellent sensing properties may be due to the P-N, P-P heterojunctions and a structure similar to field-effect transistors formed on the interfaces between PANI, TiO2, and CuO, which is p-type, n-type, and p-type semiconductor, respectively. In addition, the prepared free-standing CuO-TiO2-SiO2/PANI composite nanofiber membrane was easy to handle and possessed ideal flexibility, which is promising for potential applications in wearable sensors in the future.

Individual hollow and mesoporous aero-graphitic microtube based devices for gas sensing applications

Science.gov (United States)

Lupan, Oleg; Postica, Vasile; Marx, Janik; Mecklenburg, Matthias; Mishra, Yogendra K.; Schulte, Karl; Fiedler, Bodo; Adelung, Rainer

2017-06-01

In this work, individual hollow and mesoporous graphitic microtubes were integrated into electronic devices using a FIB/SEM system and were investigated as gas and vapor sensors by applying different bias voltages (in the range of 10 mV-1 V). By increasing the bias voltage, a slight current enhancement is observed, which is mainly attributed to the self-heating effect. A different behavior of ammonia NH3 vapor sensing by increasing the applied bias voltage for hollow and mesoporous microtubes with diameters down to 300 nm is reported. In the case of the hollow microtube, an increase in the response was observed, while a reverse effect has been noticed for the mesoporous microtube. It might be explained on the basis of the higher specific surface area (SSA) of the mesoporous microtube compared to the hollow one. Thus, at room temperature when the surface chemical reaction rate (k) prevails on the gas diffusion rate (DK) the structures with a larger SSA possess a higher response. By increasing the bias voltage, i.e., the overall temperature of the structure, DK becomes a limiting step in the gas response. Therefore, at higher bias voltages the larger pores will facilitate an enhanced gas diffusion, i.e., a higher gas response. The present study demonstrates the importance of the material porosity towards gas sensing applications.

Organic Gas Sensor with an Improved Lifetime for Detecting Breath Ammonia in Hemodialysis Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Ming-Yen; Chen, Chang-Chiang; Zan, Hsiao-Wen; Meng, Hsin-Fei; Lu, Chia-Jung

2017-12-22

In this work, a TFB (poly[(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-co-(4,4'-(N-(4-s-butylphenyl)diphenylamine)]) sensor with a cylindrical nanopore structure exhibits a high sensitivity to ammonia in ppb-regime. The lifetime and sensitivity of the TFB sensor were studied and compared to those of P3HT (poly(3-hexylthiophene)), NPB (N,N'-di(1-naphthyl)-N,N'-diphenyl-(1,1'-biphenyl)-4,4'-diamine), and TAPC (4,4'-cyclohexylidenebis[N,N-bis(4-methylphenyl) benzenamine]) sensors with the same cylindrical nanopore structures. The TFB sensor outstands the others in sensitivity and lifetime and it shows a sensing response (current variation ratio) of 13% to 100 ppb ammonia after 64 days of storage in air. A repeated sensing periods testing and a long-term measurement have also been demonstrated for the test of robustness. The performance of the TFB sensor is stable in both tests, which reveals that the TFB sensor can be utilized in our targeting clinical trials. In the last part of this work, we study the change of ammonia concentration in the breath of hemodialysis (HD) patients before and after dialysis. An obvious drop of breath ammonia concentration can be observed after dialysis. The reduction of breath ammonia is also correlated with the reduction of blood urea nitrogen (BUN). A correlation coefficient of 0.82 is achieved. The result implies that TFB sensor may be used as a real-time and low cost breath ammonia sensor for the daily tracking of hemodialysis patients.

Application of copper sulfate pentahydrate as an ammonia removal reagent for the determination of trace impurities in ammonia by gas chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Aomura, Yoko; Kobayashi, Yoshihiko; Miyazawa, Yuzuru; Shimizu, Hideharu

2010-03-12

Rapid analysis of trace permanent gas impurities in high purity ammonia gas for the microelectronics industry is described, using a gas chromatograph equipped with a phtoionization detector. Our system incorporates a reactive precolumn in combination with the analytical column to remove the ammonia matrix peak that otherwise would complicate the measurements due to baseline fluctuations and loss of analytes. The performance of 21 precolumn candidate materials was evaluated. Copper sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO(4).5H(2)O) was shown to selectively react with ammonia at room temperature and atmospheric column pressures, without affecting the hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, methane or carbon monoxide peak areas. To prevent loss of trace carbon dioxide, an additional boron trioxide reactant layer was inserted above the copper sulfate pentahydrate bed in the reactive precolumn. Using the combined materials, calibration curves for carbon dioxide proved to be equivalent in both ammonia and helium matrix gases. These curves were equivalent in both matrix gases. The quantitative performance of the system was also evaluated. Peak repeatabilities, based on eight injections, were in the range of 4.1-8.2% relative standard deviation; and detection limits were 6.9 ppb for H(2), 1.8 ppb for O(2), 1.6 ppb for N(2), 6.4 ppb for CH(4), 13 ppb for CO, and 5.4 ppb for CO(2). Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gas sensing in 2D materials

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shengxue; Jiang, Chengbao; Wei, Su-huai

2017-06-01

Two-dimensional (2D) layered inorganic nanomaterials have attracted huge attention due to their unique electronic structures, as well as extraordinary physical and chemical properties for use in electronics, optoelectronics, spintronics, catalysts, energy generation and storage, and chemical sensors. Graphene and related layered inorganic analogues have shown great potential for gas-sensing applications because of their large specific surface areas and strong surface activities. This review aims to discuss the latest advancements in the 2D layered inorganic materials for gas sensors. We first elaborate the gas-sensing mechanisms and introduce various types of gas-sensing devices. Then, we describe the basic parameters and influence factors of the gas sensors to further enhance their performance. Moreover, we systematically present the current gas-sensing applications based on graphene, graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), functionalized GO or rGO, transition metal dichalcogenides, layered III-VI semiconductors, layered metal oxides, phosphorene, hexagonal boron nitride, etc. Finally, we conclude the future prospects of these layered inorganic materials in gas-sensing applications.

Understanding Gas-Phase Ammonia Chemistry in Protoplanetary Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Lauren; Oberg, Karin I.; Cleeves, Lauren Ilsedore

2017-01-01

Protoplanetary disks are dynamic regions of gas and dust around young stars, the remnants of star formation, that evolve and coagulate over millions of years in order to ultimately form planets. The chemical composition of protoplanetary disks is affected by both the chemical and physical conditions in which they develop, including the initial molecular abundances in the birth cloud, the spectrum and intensity of radiation from the host star and nearby systems, and mixing and turbulence within the disk. A more complete understanding of the chemical evolution of disks enables a more complete understanding of the chemical composition of planets that may form within them, and of their capability to support life. One element known to be essential for life on Earth is nitrogen, which often is present in the form of ammonia (NH3). Recent observations by Salinas et al. (2016) reveal a theoretical discrepancy in the gas-phase and ice-phase ammonia abundances in protoplanetary disks; while observations of comets and protostars estimate the ice-phase NH3/H2O ratio in disks to be 5%, Salinas reports a gas-phase NH3/H2O ratio of ~7-84% in the disk surrounding TW Hydra, a young nearby star. Through computational chemical modeling of the TW Hydra disk using a reaction network of over 5000 chemical reactions, I am investigating the possible sources of excess gas-phase NH3 by determining the primary reaction pathways of NH3 production; the downstream chemical effects of ionization by ultraviolet photons, X-rays, and cosmic rays; and the effects of altering the initial abundances of key molecules such as N and N2. Beyond providing a theoretical explanation for the NH3 ice/gas discrepancy, this new model may lead to fuller understanding of the gas-phase formation processes of all nitrogen hydrides (NHx), and thus fuller understanding of the nitrogen-bearing molecules that are fundamental for life as we know it.

Understanding the gas sensing properties of polypyrrole coated tin oxide nanofiber mats

Science.gov (United States)

Bagchi, Sudeshna; Ghanshyam, C.

2017-03-01

Tin oxide-polypyrrole composites have been widely studied for their enhanced sensing performance towards ammonia vapours, but further investigations are required for an understanding of the interaction mechanisms with different target analytes. In this work, polypyrrole coated tin oxide fibers have been synthesized using a two-step approach of electrospinning and vapour phase polymerization for the sensing of ammonia, ethanol, methanol, 2-propanol and acetone vapours. The resistance variation in the presence of these vapours of different nature and concentration is investigated for the determination of sensor response. A decrease in resistance occurred on interaction of tin oxide-polypyrrole with ammonia, as opposed to previous reported works. Partial reduction of polypyrrole due to interfacial interaction with tin oxide has been proposed to explain this behavior. High sensitivity of 7.45 is achieved for 1 ppm ammonia concentration. Furthermore, the sensor exhibited high sensitivity and a faster response towards ethanol vapours although methanol has the highest electron donating capability. The catalytic mechanism has been discussed to explain this interesting behavior. The results reveal that interaction between tin oxide and polypyrrole is crucial to control the predominant sensing mechanism.

CuO mesostructures as ammonia sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Bhuvaneshwari, S.; Gopalakrishnan, N.

2018-04-01

The emission threshold of NH3 in air is 1000 kg/yr which is now about 20 Tg/yr according to environmental protection agencies. Hence, there is a rapid increase in need of NH3 sensors to timely detect and control NH3 emissions. Metal oxide nanostructures such as CuO with special features are potential candidates for NH3 sensing. In the present study, morphology controlled 3-dimensional CuO mesostructures were synthesized by surfactant-free hydrothermal method. A modified approach using a mixture of water and ethylene glycol (EG) was used as solvent to control the growth process. Hierarchical mesostructures namely, hollow-sphere-like and urchin-like feature with particle dimensions ranging from 0.3-1 µm were obtained by varying water/EG ratio. The room temperature ammonia sensing behavior of all samples was studied using an indigenous gas sensing set-up. It was found that hollow-sphere like CuO nanostructures showed a maximum response of 2 towards 300 ppm ammonia with a response and recovery time of 5 and 15 min. The hydrothermal synthesis strategy reported here has the advantage of producing shape controlled hierarchical materials are highly suitable for various technological applications.

Recovery of ammonia and production of high-grade phosphates from side-stream digester effluents using gas-permeable membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Phosphorus recovery was combined with ammonia recovery using gas-permeable membranes. In a first step, the ammonia and alkalinity were removed from municipal side-stream wastewater using low-rate aeration and a gas-permeable membrane manifold. In a second step, the phosphorus was removed using magne...

Techniques for measuring ammonia in fly ash, mortar, and concrete

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rathbone, R.F. [Kentucky Univ., Lexington, KY (United States). Center for Applied Energy Reseach; Majors, R.K. [Boral Material Technologies, Inc., San Antonio, TX (United States). Engineered Materials

2003-12-01

The presence of ammonia in fly ash that is to be used in mortar and concrete is of increasing concern in the U.S., mainly due to the installation of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) DeNOx systems. When the SCR catalyst is new, contamination of the fly ash with ammonia is generally not a concern. However, as the catalyst in the SCR ages and becomes less efficient, the ammonia slip increases and results in a greater amount of ammonium salt being precipitated on the fly ash. The increase in ammonia concentration is compounded by variability that can occur on a day-to-day basis. When marketing ammonia-laden fly ash for use in mortar and concrete it is imperative that the concentration of ammonia is known. However, there currently is no widely accepted or ''standard'' method for ammonia measurement in fly ash. This paper describes two methods that have been developed and used by the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research and Boral Material Technologies, Inc. One of the methods uses gas detection tubes and can provide an accurate determination within five to ten minutes. Thus it is suitable as a rapid field technique. The other method employs a gas-sensing electrode and requires a longer period of time to complete the measurement. However, this second method can also be used to determine the quantity of ammonia in fresh mortar and concrete. (orig.)

Use of dilute ammonia gas for treatment of 1,2,3-trichloropropane and explosives-contaminated soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Coyle, Charles G; Waisner, Scott A; Medina, Victor F; Griggs, Chris S

2017-12-15

Laboratory studies were performed to test a novel reactive gas process for in-situ treatment of soils containing halogenated propanes or explosives. A soil column study, using a 5% ammonia-in-air mixture, established that the treatment process can increase soil pH from 7.5 to 10.2. Batch reactor experiments were performed to demonstrate contaminant destruction in sealed jars exposed to ammonia. Comparison of results from batch reactors that were, and were not, exposed to ammonia demonstrated reductions in concentrations of 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP), 1,3-dichloropropane (1,3-DCP), 1,2-dicholoropropane (1,2-DCP) and dibromochloropropane (DBCP) that ranged from 34 to 94%. Decreases in TCP concentrations at 23° C ranged from 37 to 65%, versus 89-94% at 62° C. A spiked soil column study was also performed using the same set of contaminants. The study showed a pH penetration distance of 30 cm in a 2.5 cm diameter soil column (with a pH increase from 8 to > 10), due to treatment via 5% ammonia gas at 1 standard cubic centimeter per minute (sccm) for 7 days. Batch reactor tests using explosives contaminated soils exhibited a 97% decrease in 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), an 83% decrease in nitrobenzene, and a 6% decrease in hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX). A biotransformation study was also performed to investigate whether growth of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms could be stimulated via prolonged exposure of soil to ammonia. Over the course of the 283 day study, only a very small amount of nitrite generation was observed; indicating very limited ammonia monooxygenase activity. Overall, the data indicate that ammonia gas addition can be a viable approach for treating halogenated propanes and some types of explosives in soils. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A nanostructured composite based on polyaniline and gold nanoparticles: synthesis and gas sensing properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Venditti, Iole; Fratoddi, Ilaria; Russo, Maria Vittoria; Bearzotti, Andrea

2013-01-01

Nanostructured composite materials based on polyaniline (PANI) and gold nanoparticles have been prepared by means of an osmosis based method. Several morphologies have been obtained for the pristine nanoPANI and for nanoPANI–Au composite, ranging from amorphous to sponge-like and spherical shapes. On the basis of this morphological investigation, different materials with high surface area have been selected and tested as chemical interactive materials for room temperature gas and vapor sensing. The resistive sensor devices have been exposed to different vapor organic compounds (VOCs) of interest in the fields of environmental monitoring and biomedical applications, such as toluene, acetic acid, ethanol, methanol, acetonitrile, water, ammonia and nitrogen dioxide. The effect of doping with H 2 SO 4 has been studied for both nanoPANI and nanoPANI–Au samples. In particular, nanoPANI–Au showed sensitivity to ammonia (up to 10 ppm) higher than that to other VOCs or interfering analytes. The facile preparation method and the improved properties achieved for the polyaniline–gold composite materials are significant in the nanomaterials field and have promise for applications in ammonia vapor monitoring. (paper)

Towards the interaction between calcium carbide and water during gas-chromatographic determination of trace moisture in ultra-high purity ammonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Trubyanov, Maxim M; Mochalov, Georgy M; Suvorov, Sergey S; Puzanov, Egor S; Petukhov, Anton N; Vorotyntsev, Ilya V; Vorotyntsev, Vladimir M

2018-05-16

The current study focuses on the processes involved during the flow conversion of water into acetylene in a calcium carbide reaction cell for the trace moisture analysis of ammonia by reaction gas chromatography. The factors negatively affecting the reproducibility and the accuracy of the measurements are suggested and discussed. The intramolecular reaction of the HOCaCCH intermediate was found to be a side reaction producing background acetylene during the contact of wet ammonia gas with calcium carbide. The presence of the HOCaCCH intermediate among the reaction products is confirmed by an FTIR spectral study of calcium carbide powder exposed to wet gas. The side reaction kinetics is evaluated experimentally and its influence on the results of the gas chromatographic measurements is discussed in relation to the determination of the optimal operating parameters for ammonia analysis. The reaction gas chromatography method for the trace moisture measurements in an ammonia matrix was experimentally compared to an FTIR long-path length gas cell technique to evaluate the accuracy limitations and the resource intensity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Engineering of Highly Susceptible Paramagnetic Nanostructures of Gd2S3:Eu3+: Potentially an Efficient Material for Room Temperature Gas Sensing Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammed M. Radhi

2010-11-01

Full Text Available This research papers throws light into the compositional, morphological and structural properties of novel nanoparticles of Gd2S3:Eu3+ synthesized by a simple co-precipitation technique. Furthermore, we also prognosticate that this material could be useful for gas sensing applications at room temperature. Nanostructures formulation by this method resulted in the formation of orthorhombic crystal structure with primitive lattice having space group Pnma. The material characterizations are performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX, thermo-gravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA and transmission electron microscope (TEM. The calculated crystallite sizes are ~ 2-5 nm and are in well accordance with the HRTEM results. EDX result confirms the presence and homogeneous distribution of Gd and Eu throughout the nanoparticle. The prepared nanoparticles exhibit strong paramagnetic nature with paramagnetic term, susceptibility c = 8.2 ´ 10-5 emg/g Gauss. TGA/DTA analysis shows 27 % weight loss with rise in temperature. The gas sensing capability of the prepared Gd2S3:Eu3+ magnetic nanoparticles are investigated using the amperometric method. These nanoparticles show good I-V characteristics with ideal semiconducting nature at room temperature with and without ammonia dose. The observed room temperature sensitivity with increasing dose of ammonia indicates applicability of Gd2S3 nanoparticles as room temperature ammonia sensors.

The influence of gas-particle partitioning and surface-atmosphere exchange on ammonia during BAQS-Met

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. A. Ellis

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The Border Air Quality and Meteorology study (BAQS-Met was an intensive field campaign conducted in Southwestern Ontario during the summer of 2007. The focus of BAQS-Met was determining the causes of the formation of ozone and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5, and of the regional significance of trans-boundary transport and lake breeze circulations on that formation. Fast (1 Hz measurements of ammonia were acquired using a Quantum Cascade Laser Tunable Infrared Differential Absorption Spectrometer (QC-TILDAS at the Harrow supersite. Measurements of PM_2.5 ammonium, sulfate and nitrate were made using an Ambient Ion Monitor Ion Chromatograph (AIM-IC with hourly time resolution. The median mixing ratio of ammonia was 2.5 ppb, with occasional high spikes at night resulting from local emissions. Measurements were used to assess major local emissions of NH₃, diurnal profiles and gas-particle partitioning. The measurements were compared with results from A Unified Regional Air-quality Modelling System (AURAMS. While the fraction of total ammonia (NH_x≡NH₃ + NH₄⁺ observed in the gas phase peaks between 0.1 and 0.8, AURAMS tended to predict fractions of either less than 0.05 or greater than 0.8. The model frequently predicted acidic aerosol, in contrast with observations wherein NH_x almost always exceeded the observed equivalents of sulfate. One explanation for our observations is that the net flux of ammonia from the land surface to the atmosphere increases when aerosol sulfate is present, effectively buffering the mixing ratio of gas phase ammonia, a process not included in the model. A simple representation of an offline bi-directional flux parameterization using the ISORROPIA thermodynamic model was successful at reducing the population of zero gas fraction points, but not the higher gas fraction points.

Ammonia chemistry at SMART

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Na, J. W.; Seong, G. W.; Lee, E. H.; Kim, W. C.; Choi, B. S.; Kim, J. P.; Lee, D. J.

1999-01-01

Ammonia is used as the pH control agent of primary water at SMART (System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor). Some of this ammonia is decomposed to hydrogen and nitrogen by radiation in the reactor core. The produced hydrogen gas is used for the removal of dissolved oxygen in the coolant. Some of nitrogen gas in pressurizer is dissolved into the primary water. Because ammonia, hydrogen and nitrogen which is produced by ammonia radiolysis are exist in the coolant at SMART, ammonia chemistry at SMART is different with lithium-boron chemistry at commercial PWR. In this study, the pH characteristics of ammonia and the solubility characteristics of hydrogen and nytrogen were analyzed for the management of primary water chemistry at SMART

Detection of low-concentration ammonia using differential laser-induced fluorescence on vapochromic coordination polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Dawei; Chapman, Glenn H.; Stevens, David; Gray, Bonnie; Leznoff, Daniel

2018-02-01

The detection of ammonia in parts per millions range has been challenging in sensors research, and is of great importance for industrial applications. In previous literature, Vapochromic Coordination Polymers (VCP) were developed to achieve luminescence upon a targeted gas exposures. We investigate a specific VCP, Zn[Au(CN)2]2,as an ammonia sensing material. Upon high concentration ammonia exposure, the fluorescent peak under near-UV stimulation undergoes a spectral shift from 460nm to 520nm, while the intensity increases by 3 4X. However, at ammonia concentrations portable spectrometer (Photon Control SPM-002), and processed the data by separating the spectrum into two regions; (A) from 425 nm to 460 nm and (B) from 460nm to 500nm. Next, the integrated emissions under both regions were computed, and the value of shorter wavelength region (A) was subtracted from the longer wavelength one (B). When exposed to ammonia, region (A) reduces overall intensity while region (B) increases, resulting a signal starting from negative value and gradually increases to positive values, enabling the detection of 5ppm ammonia in less than 30 seconds gas exposure.

Ammonia and ammonium hydroxide sensors for ammonia/water absorption machines: Literature review and data compilation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anheier, N.C. Jr.; McDonald, C.E.; Cuta, J.M.; Cuta, F.M.; Olsen, K.B.

1995-05-01

This report describes an evaluation of various sensing techniques for determining the ammonia concentration in the working fluid of ammonia/water absorption cycle systems. The purpose of this work was to determine if any existing sensor technology or instrumentation could provide an accurate, reliable, and cost-effective continuous measure of ammonia concentration in water. The resulting information will be used for design optimization and cycle control in an ammonia-absorption heat pump. PNL researchers evaluated each sensing technology against a set of general requirements characterizing the potential operating conditions within the absorption cycle. The criteria included the physical constraints for in situ operation, sensor characteristics, and sensor application. PNL performed an extensive literature search, which uncovered several promising sensing technologies that might be applicable to this problem. Sixty-two references were investigated, and 33 commercial vendors were identified as having ammonia sensors. The technologies for ammonia sensing are acoustic wave, refractive index, electrode, thermal, ion-selective field-effect transistor (ISFET), electrical conductivity, pH/colormetric, and optical absorption. Based on information acquired in the literature search, PNL recommends that follow-on activities focus on ISFET devices and a fiber optic evanescent sensor with a colormetric indicator. The ISFET and fiber optic evanescent sensor are inherently microminiature and capable of in situ measurements. Further, both techniques have been demonstrated selective to the ammonium ion (NH{sub 4}{sup +}). The primary issue remaining is how to make the sensors sufficiently corrosion-resistant to be useful in practice.

Synthesis, characterization and gas sensing performance

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

For the first time, this study reports the gas sensing performance of aluminosilicate azide cancrinite. The effect of annealing andoperating temperature on gas sensing characteristic of azide cancrinite thick film is investigated systematically for various gases at different operating temperatures. This sensor was observed to be ...

Hydrogen Gas Recycling for Energy Efficient Ammonia Recovery in Electrochemical Systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuntke, Philipp; Rodríguez Arredondo, Mariana; Widyakristi, Laksminarastri; Heijne, ter Annemiek; Sleutels, Tom H.J.A.; Hamelers, Hubertus V.M.; Buisman, Cees J.N.

2017-01-01

Recycling of hydrogen gas (H₂) produced at the cathode to the anode in an electrochemical system allows for energy efficient TAN (Total Ammonia Nitrogen) recovery. Using a H₂ recycling electrochemical system (HRES) we achieved high TAN transport rates at low energy input. At

Metal oxide nanostructures as gas sensing devices

CERN Document Server

Eranna, G

2016-01-01

Metal Oxide Nanostructures as Gas Sensing Devices explores the development of an integrated micro gas sensor that is based on advanced metal oxide nanostructures and is compatible with modern semiconductor fabrication technology. This sensor can then be used to create a compact, low-power, handheld device for analyzing air ambience. The book first covers current gas sensing tools and discusses the necessity for miniaturized sensors. It then focuses on the materials, devices, and techniques used for gas sensing applications, such as resistance and capacitance variations. The author addresses the issues of sensitivity, concentration, and temperature dependency as well as the response and recovery times crucial for sensors. He also presents techniques for synthesizing different metal oxides, particularly those with nanodimensional structures. The text goes on to highlight the gas sensing properties of many nanostructured metal oxides, from aluminum and cerium to iron and titanium to zinc and zirconium. The final...

Unregulated greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions from current technology heavy-duty vehicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Thiruvengadam, Arvind; Besch, Marc; Carder, Daniel; Oshinuga, Adewale; Pasek, Randall; Hogo, Henry; Gautam, Mridul

2016-11-01

The study presents the measurement of carbonyl, BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene), ammonia, elemental/organic carbon (EC/OC), and greenhouse gas emissions from modern heavy-duty diesel and natural gas vehicles. Vehicles from different vocations that included goods movement, refuse trucks, and transit buses were tested on driving cycles representative of their duty cycle. The natural gas vehicle technologies included the stoichiometric engine platform equipped with a three-way catalyst and a diesel-like dual-fuel high-pressure direct-injection technology equipped with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR). The diesel vehicles were equipped with a DPF and SCR. Results of the study show that the BTEX emissions were below detection limits for both diesel and natural gas vehicles, while carbonyl emissions were observed during cold start and low-temperature operations of the natural gas vehicles. Ammonia emissions of about 1 g/mile were observed from the stoichiometric natural gas vehicles equipped with TWC over all the driving cycles. The tailpipe GWP of the stoichiometric natural gas goods movement application was 7% lower than DPF and SCR equipped diesel. In the case of a refuse truck application the stoichiometric natural gas engine exhibited 22% lower GWP than a diesel vehicle. Tailpipe methane emissions contribute to less than 6% of the total GHG emissions. Modern heavy-duty diesel and natural gas engines are equipped with multiple after-treatment systems and complex control strategies aimed at meeting both the performance standards for the end user and meeting stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions regulation. Compared to older technology diesel and natural gas engines, modern engines and after-treatment technology have reduced unregulated emissions to levels close to detection limits. However, brief periods of inefficiencies related to low exhaust thermal energy have been shown to

Nanogenerators for Self-Powered Gas Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Zhen; Shen, Qingqing; Sun, Xuhui

2017-10-01

Looking toward world technology trends over the next few decades, self-powered sensing networks are a key field of technological and economic driver for global industries. Since 2006, Zhong Lin Wang's group has proposed a novel concept of nanogenerators (NGs), including piezoelectric nanogenerator and triboelectric nanogenerator, which could convert a mechanical trigger into an electric output. Considering motion ubiquitously exists in the surrounding environment and for any most common materials used every day, NGs could be inherently served as an energy source for our daily increasing requirements or as one of self-powered environmental sensors. In this regard, by coupling the piezoelectric or triboelectric properties with semiconducting gas sensing characterization, a new research field of self-powered gas sensing has been proposed. Recent works have shown promising concept to realize NG-based self-powered gas sensors that are capable of detecting gas environment without the need of external power sources to activate the gas sensors or to actively generate a readout signal. Compared with conventional sensors, these self-powered gas sensors keep the approximate performance. Meanwhile, these sensors drastically reduce power consumption and additionally reduce the required space for integration, which are significantly suitable for the wearable devices. This paper gives a brief summary about the establishment and latest progress in the fundamental principle, updated progress and potential applications of NG-based self-powered gas sensing system. The development trend in this field is envisaged, and the basic configurations are also introduced.

Recovery of ammonia from anaerobically digested manure using gas-permeable membranes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Cruz García-González

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Nitrogen (N can be recovered from different types of wastewaters. Among these wastewaters, anaerobically digested swine manure (digestate has the highest N content in ammonia form (NH3. It is desirable to reduce N in digestate effluents to safely incorporate them in arable soil in N vulnerable zones (NVZ and to mitigate NH3 emissions during N land application. Additional benefit is to minimize inhibition of the anaerobic process by removing NH3 during the anaerobic digestion process. This work aimed to apply the gas-permeable membrane technology to evaluate ammonia (NH3 recovery from high-ammonia digested swine manure. Anaerobically digested swine manure with NH4+ content of 4,293 mg N L−1 was reduced by 91 % (to 381 mg N L−1 during the 32-day experiment. Although the results showed a total N recovery efficiency of 71 %, it is possible to increase this recovery efficiency to > 90 % by adjusting the area of the membrane system to match the high free ammonia concentration (FA in digested swine manure. Moreover, final digestate pH and alkalinity were kept around 8.1 and 8,923 mgCaCO3 L−1, which are convenient for the anaerobic process or incorporation in arable soil when the process is finished.

Gas-permeable hydrophobic tubular membranes for ammonia recovery in bio-electrochemical systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuntke, P.; Zamora, P.; Saakes, M.; Buisman, C.J.N.; Hamelers, H.V.M.

2016-01-01

The application of a gas-permeable hydrophobic tubular membrane in bio-electrochemical systems enables efficient recovery of ammonia (NH₃) from their cathode compartments. Due to a hydrogen evolution reaction at the cathode, no chemical addition was required to increase the pH for

Removal of ammonia from gas streams with dielectric barrier discharge plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Lanyan; Huang Li; Shu Xiaohong; Zhang Renxi; Dong Wenbo; Hou Huiqi

2008-01-01

We reported on the experimental study of gas-phase removal of ammonia (NH 3 ) via dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure, in which we mainly concentrated on three aspects-influence of initial NH 3 concentration, peak voltage, and gas residence time on NH 3 removal efficiency. Effectiveness, e.g. the removal efficiency, specific energy density, absolute removal amount and energy yield, of the self-made DBD reactor had also been studied. Basic analysis on DBD physical parameters and its performance was made in comparison with previous investigation. Moreover, products were detected via ion exchange chromatography (IEC). Experimental results demonstrated the application potential of DBD as an alternative technology for odor-causing gases elimination from gas streams

Facile Synthesis of Polyaniline Nanotubes Using Self-Assembly Method Based on the Hydrogen Bonding: Mechanism and Application in Gas Sensing

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Changqing Yin

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Based on hydrogen bonding, the highly uniform polyaniline (PANI nanotubes were synthesized by self-assembly method using citric acid (CA as the dopant and the structure-directing agent by optimizing the molar ratio of CA to aniline monomer (Ani. Synthesis conditions like reaction temperature and mechanical stirring were considered to explore the effects of hydrogen bonding on the morphologies. The effects of CA on the final morphology of the products were also investigated. The as-synthesized CA doped polyaniline (PANI nanomaterials were further deposited on the plate electrodes for the test of gas sensing performance to ammonia (NH3. The sensitivity to various concentrations of NH3, the repeatability, and the stability of the sensors were also tested and analyzed. As a result, it was found that the PANI nanomaterial synthesized at the CA/Ani molar ratio of 0.5 has highly uniform tubular morphology and shows the best sensing performance to NH3. It makes the PANI nanotubes a promising material for high performance gas sensing to NH3.

Multi-component removal in flue gas by aqua ammonia

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, James T [Bethel Park, PA; Pennline, Henry W [Bethel Park, PA

2007-08-14

A new method for the removal of environmental compounds from gaseous streams, in particular, flue gas streams. The new method involves first oxidizing some or all of the acid anhydrides contained in the gas stream such as sulfur dioxide (SO.sub.2) and nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N.sub.2O) to sulfur trioxide (SO.sub.3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO.sub.2). The gas stream is subsequently treated with aqua ammonia or ammonium hydroxide which captures the compounds via chemical absorption through acid-base or neutralization reactions. The products of the reactions can be collected as slurries, dewatered, and dried for use as fertilizers, or once the slurries have been dewatered, used directly as fertilizers. The ammonium hydroxide can be regenerated and recycled for use via thermal decomposition of ammonium bicarbonate, one of the products formed. There are alternative embodiments which entail stoichiometric scrubbing of nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides with subsequent separate scrubbing of carbon dioxide.

Process for producing synthetic ammonia gas. Verfahren zur Erzeugung von Ammoniak-Synthesegas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meckel, J F; Messerschmidt, D; Wagener, D

1984-01-12

The invention refers to a process for producing synthetic ammonia gas from gases containing hydrocarbons, which is reformed catalytically and autothermally with a synthesis gas containing oxygen and then subjected to conversion to synthesis gas containing carbon dioxide and hydrogen. In order to simplify the plant required for such a process, the invention provides that part of the gas main flow is subjected to a multistage alternating pressure absorption plant (PSA plant) in a bypass of the gas main flow and the separated hydrogen is returned to the remaining gas main flow, in order to set the required H/sub 2/N/sub 2/ ratio and that the fission gas is subject to carbon dioxide washing and methanizing after conversion. This process therefore does not need a pipe splitting furnace and enrichment of the air with oxygen.

Heterogeneous metal-oxide nanowire micro-sensor array for gas sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeMeo, Dante; E Vandervelde, Thomas; MacNaughton, Sam; Sonkusale, Sameer; Wang, Zhilong; Zhang, Xinjie

2014-01-01

Vanadium oxide, manganese oxide, tungsten oxide, and nickel oxide nanowires were investigated for their applicability as chemiresistive gas sensors. Nanowires have excellent surface-to-volume ratios which yield higher sensitivities than bulk materials. Sensing elements consisting of these materials were assembled in an array to create an electronic nose platform. Dielectrophoresis was used to position the nanomaterials onto a microfabricated array of electrodes, which was subsequently mounted onto a leadless chip carrier and printed circuit board for rapid testing. Samples were tested in an enclosed chamber with vapors of acetone, isopropanol, methanol, and aqueous ammonia. The change in resistance of each assembly was measured. Responses varied between nanowire compositions, each demonstrating unique and repeatable responses to different gases; this enabled direct detection of the gases from the ensemble response. Sensitivities were calculated based on the fractional resistance change in a saturated environment and ranged from 6 × 10 −4 to 2 × 10 −5 %change ppm −1 . (papers)

Study the gas sensing properties of boron nitride nanosheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sajjad, Muhammad; Feng, Peter

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We synthesized boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) on silicon substrate. • We analyzed gas sensing properties of BNNSs-based gas-sensor device. • CH 4 gas is used to measure gas-sensing properties of the device. • Quick response and recovery time of the device is recorded. • BNNSs showed excellent sensitivity to the working gas. - Abstract: In the present communication, we report on the synthesis of boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) and study of their gas sensing properties. BNNSs are synthesized by irradiating pyrolytic hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) target using CO 2 laser pulses. High resolution transmission electron microscopic measurements (HRTEM) revealed 2-dientional honeycomb crystal lattice structure of BNNSs. HRTEM, electron diffraction, XRD and Raman scattering measurements clearly identified h-BN. Gas sensing properties of synthesized BNNSs were analyzed with prototype gas sensor using methane as working gas. A systematic response curve of the sensor is recorded in each cycle of gas “in” and “out”; suggesting excellent sensitivity and high performance of BNNSs-based gas-sensor

Fabrication of optical chemical ammonia sensors using anodized alumina supports and sol-gel method.

Science.gov (United States)

Markovics, Akos; Kovács, Barna

2013-05-15

In this comparative study, the fabrication and the sensing properties of various reflectometric optical ammonia gas sensors are described. In the first set of experiments the role of the support material was investigated on four different sensor membranes. Two of them were prepared by the adsorption of bromocresol green indicator on anodized aluminum plates. The applied anodizing voltages were 12 V and 24 V, which resulted in different dynamic ranges and response times for gaseous ammonia. The sol-gel method was used for the preparation of the other batch of sensors. These layers were coated on anodized aluminum plates (24 V) and on standard microscope cover glasses. In spite of the identical sensing chemistry, slightly different response times were measured merely because of the aluminum surface porosity. Gas molecules can remain entrapped in the pores, which results in delayed recovery time. On the other hand, the porous oxide film provides excellent adhesion, making the anodized aluminum an attractive support for the sol-gel layer. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Free standing CuO-MnO2 nanocomposite for room temperature ammonia sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Bhuvaneshwari, S.; Papachan, Seethal; Gopalakrishnan, N.

2017-05-01

CuO nanostructures and CuO-MnO2 nanocomposite were successfully synthesized using hydrothermal method without any aid of growth controlling agents. The synthesized CuO nanostructures have monoclinic structure. The XRD pattern of CuO-MnO2 observed with mixed phases of monoclinic CuO and birnessite-type MnO2 which confirms the formation of nanocomposite. SEM images revealed the turmeric-like morphology for CuO and intercalated sheets with flowers on the surface for CuO-MnO2. The length and breadth of turmeric-like structure is about 642.2 nm and 141.8 nm, respectively. The band gap of 1.72 eV for CuO nanostructure and 1.9 eV for CuO-MnO2 nanocomposite were observed from the absorption spectra. The free standing devices of CuO-MnO2 showed nearly a 3 fold increase sensing response to ammonia at room temperature when compared to the constituent CuO. The composite sensor showed response time of 120 s and recovered within 600 s. This enhanced response can be asserted to the peculiar morphology of the composite that provides more adsorption site for gas diffusion to take place.

Characterizing the Performance of Gas-Permeable Membranes as an Ammonia Recovery Strategy from Anaerobically Digested Dairy Manure.

Science.gov (United States)

Fillingham, Melanie; VanderZaag, Andrew; Singh, Jessica; Burtt, Stephen; Crolla, Anna; Kinsley, Chris; MacDonald, J Douglas

2017-10-07

Capturing ammonia from anaerobically digested manure could simultaneously decrease the adverse effects of ammonia inhibition on biogas production, reduce reactive nitrogen (N) loss to the environment, and produce mineral N fertilizer as a by-product. In this study, gas permeable membranes (GPM) were used to capture ammonia from dairy manure and digestate by the diffusion of gaseous ammonia across the membrane where ammonia is captured by diluted acid, forming an aqueous ammonium salt. A lab-scale prototype using tubular expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) GPM was used to (1) characterize the effect of total ammonium nitrogen (TAN) concentration, temperature, and pH on the ammonia capture rate using GPM, and (2) to evaluate the performance of a GPM system in conditions similar to a mesophilic anaerobic digester. The GPM captured ammonia at a rate between 2.2 to 6.3% of gaseous ammonia in the donor solution per day. Capture rate was faster in anaerobic digestate than raw manure. The ammonia capture rate could be predicted using non-linear regression based on the factors of total ammonium nitrogen concentration, temperature, and pH. This use of membranes shows promise in reducing the deleterious impacts of ammonia on both the efficiency of biogas production and the release of reactive N to the environment.

Sensing Properties of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Grown in MW Plasma Torch: Electronic and Electrochemical Behavior, Gas Sensing, Field Emission, IR Absorption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petra Majzlíková

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (VA-MWCNTs with an average diameter below 80 nm and a thickness of the uniform VA-MWCNT layer of about 16 µm were grown in microwave plasma torch and tested for selected functional properties. IR absorption important for a construction of bolometers was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Basic electrochemical characterization was performed by cyclic voltammetry. Comparing the obtained results with the standard or MWCNT‑modified screen-printed electrodes, the prepared VA-MWCNT electrodes indicated their high potential for the construction of electrochemical sensors. Resistive CNT gas sensor revealed a good sensitivity to ammonia taking into account room temperature operation. Field emission detected from CNTs was suitable for the pressure sensing application based on the measurement of emission current in the diode structure with bending diaphragm. The advantages of microwave plasma torch growth of CNTs, i.e., fast processing and versatility of the process, can be therefore fully exploited for the integration of surface-bound grown CNTs into various sensing structures.

High Resolution Spectra of Carbon Monoxide, Propane and Ammonia for Atmospheric Remote Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Beale, Christopher Andrew

Spectroscopy is a critical tool for analyzing atmospheric data. Identification of atmospheric parameters such as temperature, pressure and the existence and concentrations of constituent gases via remote sensing techniques are only possible with spectroscopic data. These form the basis of model atmospheres which may be compared to observations to determine such parameters. To this end, this dissertation explores the spectroscopy of three molecules: ammonia, propane and carbon monoxide. Infrared spectra have been recorded for ammonia in the region 2400-9000 cm-1. These spectra were recorded at elevated temperatures (from 293-973 K) using a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS). Comparison between the spectra recorded at different temperatures yielded experimental lower state energies. These spectra resulted in the measurement of roughly 30000 lines and about 3000 quantum assignments. In addition spectra of propane were recorded at elevated temperatures (296-700 K) using an FTS. Atmospheres with high temperatures require molecular data at appropriate conditions. This dissertation describes collection of such data and the potential application to atmospheres in our solar system, such as auroral regions in Jupiter, to those of planets orbiting around other stars and cool sub-stellar objects known as brown dwarfs. The spectra of propane and ammonia provide the highest resolution and most complete experimental study of these gases in their respective spectral regions at elevated temperatures. Detection of ammonia in an exoplanet or detection of propane in the atmosphere of Jupiter will most likely rely on the work presented here. The best laboratory that we have to study atmospheres is our own planet. The same techniques that are applied to these alien atmospheres originated on Earth. As such it is appropriate to discuss remote sensing of our own atmosphere. This idea is explored through analysis of spectroscopic data recorded by an FTS on the Atmospheric Chemistry

The Green Bank Ammonia Survey: Observations of Hierarchical Dense Gas Structures in Cepheus-L1251

Science.gov (United States)

Keown, Jared; Di Francesco, James; Kirk, Helen; Friesen, Rachel K.; Pineda, Jaime E.; Rosolowsky, Erik; Ginsburg, Adam; Offner, Stella S. R.; Caselli, Paola; Alves, Felipe; Chacón-Tanarro, Ana; Punanova, Anna; Redaelli, Elena; Seo, Young Min; Matzner, Christopher D.; Chun-Yuan Chen, Michael; Goodman, Alyssa A.; Chen, How-Huan; Shirley, Yancy; Singh, Ayushi; Arce, Hector G.; Martin, Peter; Myers, Philip C.

2017-11-01

We use Green Bank Ammonia Survey observations of NH3 (1, 1) and (2, 2) emission with 32″ FWHM resolution from a ˜10 pc2 portion of the Cepheus-L1251 molecular cloud to identify hierarchical dense gas structures. Our dendrogram analysis of the NH3 data results in 22 top-level structures, which reside within 13 lower-level parent structures. The structures are compact (0.01 {pc}≲ {R}{eff}≲ 0.1 {pc}) and are spatially correlated with the highest H2 column density portions of the cloud. We also compare the ammonia data to a catalog of dense cores identified by higher-resolution (18.″2 FWHM) Herschel Space Observatory observations of dust continuum emission from Cepheus-L1251. Maps of kinetic gas temperature, velocity dispersion, and NH3 column density, derived from detailed modeling of the NH3 data, are used to investigate the stability and chemistry of the ammonia-identified and Herschel-identified structures. We show that the dust and dense gas in the structures have similar temperatures, with median T dust and T K measurements of 11.7 ± 1.1 K and 10.3 ± 2.0 K, respectively. Based on a virial analysis, we find that the ammonia-identified structures are gravitationally dominated, yet may be in or near a state of virial equilibrium. Meanwhile, the majority of the Herschel-identified dense cores appear to be not bound by their own gravity and instead confined by external pressure. CCS (20 - 10) and HC5N (9-8) emission from the region reveal broader line widths and centroid velocity offsets when compared to the NH3 (1, 1) emission in some cases, likely due to these carbon-based molecules tracing the turbulent outer layers of the dense cores.

Nanocrystalline samarium oxide coated fiber optic gas sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renganathan, B.; Sastikumar, D.; Srinivasan, R.; Ganesan, A.R.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • This fiber optic gas sensor works at room temperature. • As-prepared and annealed Sm 2 O 3 nanoparticles are act as sensor materials. • Sm 2 O 3 clad modified fiber detect the ammonia, ethanol and methanol gases. • The response of evanescent wave loss has been studied for different concentrations. - Abstract: Nanocrystalline Sm 2 O 3 coated fiber optic sensor is proposed for detecting toxic gases such as ammonia, methanol and ethanol vapors. Sm 2 O 3 in the as prepared form as well as annealed form have been used as gas sensing materials, by making them as cladding of a PMMA fiber. The spectral characteristics of the Sm 2 O 3 gas sensor are presented for ammonia, methanol and ethanol gases with different concentrations ranging from 0 to 500 ppm. The sensor exhibits a linear variation in the output light intensity with the concentration. The enhanced gas sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor for ethanol is discussed briefly

Ammonia Induces Autophagy through Dopamine Receptor D3 and MTOR

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhiyuan; Ji, Xinmiao; Wang, Wenchao; Liu, Juanjuan; Liang, Xiaofei; Wu, Hong; Liu, Jing; Eggert, Ulrike S.; Liu, Qingsong

2016-01-01

Hyperammonemia is frequently seen in tumor microenvironments as well as in liver diseases where it can lead to severe brain damage or death. Ammonia induces autophagy, a mechanism that tumor cells may use to protect themselves from external stresses. However, how cells sense ammonia has been unclear. Here we show that culture medium alone containing Glutamine can generate milimolar of ammonia at 37 degrees in the absence of cells. In addition, we reveal that ammonia acts through the G protein-coupled receptor DRD3 (Dopamine receptor D3) to induce autophagy. At the same time, ammonia induces DRD3 degradation, which involves PIK3C3/VPS34-dependent pathways. Ammonia inhibits MTOR (mechanistic target of Rapamycin) activity and localization in cells, which is mediated by DRD3. Therefore, ammonia has dual roles in autophagy: one to induce autophagy through DRD3 and MTOR, the other to increase autophagosomal pH to inhibit autophagic flux. Our study not only adds a new sensing and output pathway for DRD3 that bridges ammonia sensing and autophagy induction, but also provides potential mechanisms for the clinical consequences of hyperammonemia in brain damage, neurodegenerative diseases and tumors. PMID:27077655

The separation and recovery of hydrogen from the recycling gas in ammonia production by means of lanthanum-rich mischmetal nickel hydride beds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qidong, W.; Jing, W.; Changpin, C.; Weifang, L.

1985-01-01

The separation and recovery of hydrogen by means of a MlNi/sub 5/ (Ml: La-rich mischmetal) beds were studied. The influence of the impurity gas components (O/sub 2/, H/sub 2/O, N/sub 2/, Ar, CH/sub 4/ and NH/sub 3/ etc) on the hydrogen absorption capacity, hydriding and dehydriding kinetics and cycling ageing stability of the beds was investigated for both stagnant gases and continuously flowing gas streams. In small reactors, at first artificially made gas mixtures and finally the actual recycling gas from ammonia production were tested. In the presence of trace ammonia (<100ppm) in recycling gas stream, the efficiency of recovery amounted to 85 - 93% and the purity of the product hydrogen was around 99.9%. When ammonia amounted to 2.5%, the efficiency of recovery decreased to 81 - 86%. The hydrogen absorption capacity of the alloy bed remained unchanged after cycling 50 times, indicating the stability of the alloy satisfactory

Preparation and Study of NH3 Gas Sensing Behavior of Fe2O3 Doped ZnO Thick Film Resistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. R. Patil

2006-08-01

Full Text Available The preparation, characterization and gas sensing properties of pure and Fe2O3-ZnO mixed oxide semiconductors have been investigated. The mixed oxides were obtained by mixing ZnO and Fe2O3 in the proportion 1:1, 1:0.5 and 0.5:1. Pure ZnO was observed to be insensitive to NH3 gas. However, mixed oxides (with ZnO: Fe2O3 =1:0.5 were observed to be highly sensitive to ammonia gas. Upon exposure to NH3 gas, the barrier height of Fe2O3-ZnO intergranular regions decreases markedly due to the chemical transformation of Fe2O3 into well conducting ferric ammonium hydroxide leading to a drastic decrease in resistance. The crucial gas response was found to NH3 gas at 3500C and no cross response was observed to other hazardous and polluting gases. The effects of microstructure and doping concentration on the gas response, selectivity, response and recovery of the sensor in the presence of NH3 gas were studied and discussed.

Influence of zirconium doping in ceria lattice as an active electrode in amperometric electrochemical ammonia gas sensor using oxygen pumping current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharan, R.; Dutta, Atanu; Roy, Mainak

2016-01-01

An amperometric electrochemical sensor using Ce-Zr system as ammonia gas detecting electrode is reported. Using lanthanum gallate based electrolyte La_0_._8Sr_0_._2Ga_0_._8Mg_0_._1Ni_0_._1O_3 (LSGMN) and lanthanum strontium cobaltite La_0_._5Sr_0_._5CoO_3 (LSC) as oxygen reduction electrode, the sensor was found to be highly sensitive to NH_3 gas down to few ppm level, when operated in the temperature range 300-450°C. Keeping LSC electrodecomposition same, when sensing properties were studied with the variation of Zr concentration in ceria for active electrode, sensor with 30 mol % Zr doped ceria showed highest sensitivity of 28μA/ decade at 400°C. For all active electrodecompositions Ce_1_-_xZr_xO_2 (x = 0 to 0.7) highest sensitivity was observed at 400°C. All the sensors performed reproducibly with time response and recovery time 40 and 120 seconds respectively. (author)

Effects of manure storage additivies on manure composition and greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Abstract: Storage of dairy manure slurry allows for flexibility in the timing of land application of manure to reduce environmental impacts related to water quality. Yet, manure storage can increase greenhouse gas (GHG) and ammonia emissions and cause operational issues due to the buildup of slurry ...

Natural Carbonized Sugar as a Low-Temperature Ammonia Sensor Material: Experimental, Theoretical, and Computational Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghule, Balaji G; Shaikh, Shoyebmohamad; Ekar, Satish U; Nakate, Umesh T; Gunturu, Krishna Chaitanya; Shinde, Nanasaheb M; Naushad, Mu; Kim, Kwang Ho; O'Dwyer, Colm; Mane, Rajaram S

2017-12-13

Carbonized sugar (CS) has been synthesized via microwave-assisted carbonization of market-quality tabletop sugar bearing in mind the advantages of this synthesis method, such as being useful, cost-effective, and eco-friendly. The as-prepared CS has been characterized for its morphology, phase purity, type of porosity, pore-size distribution, and so on. The gas-sensing properties of CS for various oxidizing and reducing gases are demonstrated at ambient temperature, where we observe good selectivity toward liquid ammonia among other gases. The highest ammonia response (50%) of a CS-based sensor was noted at 80 °C for 100 ppm concentration. The response and recovery times of the CS sensor are 180 and 216 s, respectively. This unveiling ammonia-sensing study is explored through a plausible theoretical mechanism, which is further well-supported by computational modeling performed using density function theory. The effect of relative humidity on the CS sensor has also been studied at ambient temperature, which demonstrated that the minimum and maximum (20-100%) relative humidity values revealed 16 and 62% response, respectively.

Hydrothermal synthesis of h-MoO3 microrods and their gas sensing properties to ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Yueli; Yang, Shuang; Lu, Yu; Podval’naya, Natal’ya V.; Chen, Wen; Zakharova, Galina S.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A simple hydrothermal acid-free method for the synthesis of h-MoO 3 microrods with the hexagonal cross-section is reported. • The h-MoO 3 phase is transformed to α-MoO 3 at 439 °C. • The h-MoO 3 microrods were employed to fabricate gas sensors to detect ethanol. • Sensor showed highest response with a sensitivity of 8.24–500 ppm C 2 H 5 OH at operating temperature of 332 °C. - Abstract: Hexagonal molybdenum trioxide (h-MoO 3 ) microrods were successfully synthesized via a novel and facile hydrothermal route from peroxomolybdate solution with the presence of NH 4 Cl as the mineralizer. A variety of the techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry combined with the thermal gravimetric analysis (DSC–TG) were used to characterize the product. The gas sensing test indicates that h-MoO 3 microrods have a good response to 5–500 ppm ethanol in the range of 273–380 °C, and the optimum operating temperature is 332 °C with a high sensitivity of 8.24 to 500 ppm ethanol. Moreover, it also has a good selectivity toward ethanol gas if compared with other gases, such as ammonia, methanol and toluene. The sensing mechanism of h-MoO 3 microrods to ethanol was also discussed.

Fabrication of a carbon nanotube-based gas sensor using dielectrophoresis and its application for ammonia detection by impedance spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suehiro, Junya; Zhou Guangbin; Hara, Masanori

2003-01-01

This paper describes a new method for fabricating a gas sensor composed of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using dielectrophoresis (DEP). MWCNTs dispersed in ethanol were trapped and enriched in an interdigitated microelectrode gap under the action of a positive DEP force that drove the MWCNTs to a higher electric field region. During the trapping of MWCNTs, the electrode impedance varied as the number of MWCNTs bridging the electrode gap increased. After the DEP process, the ethanol was evaporated and the microelectrode retaining the MWCNTs was exposed to ammonia (NH 3 ) gas while the electrode impedance was monitored. It was found that the electrode impedance was altered by ppm-levels of ammonia at room temperature. The ammonia exposure decreased the sensor conductance, while the capacitance increased. The sensor showed a reversible response with a time constant of a few minutes. The conductance change was proportional to ammonia concentration below 10 ppm and then gradually saturated at higher concentrations. Effects of the number of trapped MWCNTs on sensor response were also discussed. (rapid communication)

Modeling and simulation of ammonia removal from purge gases of ammonia plants using a catalytic Pd-Ag membrane reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahimpour, M.R.; Asgari, A.

2008-01-01

In this work, the removal of ammonia from synthesis purge gas of an ammonia plant has been investigated. Since the ammonia decomposition is thermodynamically limited, a membrane reactor is used for complete decomposition. A double pipe catalytic membrane reactor is used to remove ammonia from purge gas. The purge gas is flowing in the reaction side and is converted to hydrogen and nitrogen over nickel-alumina catalyst. The hydrogen is transferred through the Pd-Ag membrane of tube side to the shell side. A mathematical model including conservation of mass in the tube and shell side of reactor is proposed. The proposed model was solved numerically and the effects of different parameters on the rector performance were investigated. The effects of pressure, temperature, flow rate (sweep ratio), membrane thickness and reactor diameter have been investigated in the present study. Increasing ammonia conversion was observed by raising the temperature, sweep ratio and reducing membrane thickness. When the pressure increases, the decomposition is gone toward completion but, at low pressure the ammonia conversion in the outset of reactor is higher than other pressures, but complete destruction of the ammonia cannot be achieved. The proposed model can be used for design of an industrial catalytic membrane reactor for removal of ammonia from ammonia plant and reducing NO x emissions

Exhaust purification with on-board ammonia production

Science.gov (United States)

Robel, Wade J [Peoria, IL; Driscoll, James Joshua [Dunlap, IL; Coleman, Gerald N [Peterborough, GB

2008-05-13

A system of ammonia production for a selective catalytic reduction system is provided. The system includes producing an exhaust gas stream within a cylinder group, wherein the first exhaust gas stream includes NOx. The exhaust gas stream may be supplied to an exhaust passage and cooled to a predetermined temperature range, and at least a portion of the NOx within the exhaust gas stream may be converted into ammonia.

Ammonia detection using hollow waveguide enhanced laser absorption spectroscopy based on a 9.56 μm quantum cascade laser

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jinyi; Yang, Sen; Wang, Ruixue; Du, Zhenhui; Wei, Yingying

2017-10-01

Ammonia (NH3) is the most abundant alkalescency trace gas in the atmosphere having a foul odor, which is produced by both natural and anthropogenic sources. Chinese Emission Standard for Odor Pollutants has listed NH3 as one of the eight malodorous pollutants since 1993, specifying the emission concentration less than 1 mg/m3 (1.44ppmv). NH3 detection continuously from ppb to ppm levels is significant for protection of environmental atmosphere and safety of industrial and agricultural production. Tunable laser absorption spectroscopy (TLAS) is an increasingly important optical method for trace gas detection. TLAS do not require pretreatment and accumulation of the concentration of the analyzed sample, unlike, for example, more conventional methods such as mass spectrometry or gas chromatography. In addition, TLAS can provide high precision remote sensing capabilities, high sensitivities and fast response. Hollow waveguide (HWG) has recently emerged as a novel concept serving as an efficient optical waveguide and as a highly miniaturized gas cell. Among the main advantages of HWG gas cell compared with conventional multi-pass gas cells is the considerably decreased sample which facilitates gas exchanging. An ammonia sensor based on TLAS using a 5m HWG as the gas cell is report here. A 9.56μm, continuous-wave, distributed feed-back (DFB), room temperature quantum cascade laser (QCL), is employed as the optical source. The interference-free NH3 absorption line located at 1046.4cm-1 (λ 9556.6nm) is selected for detection by analyzing absorption spectrum from 1045-1047 cm-1 within the ν2 fundamental absorption band of ammonia. Direct absorption spectroscopy (DAS) technique is utilized and the measured spectral line is fitted by a simulation model by HITRAN database to obtain the NH3 concentration. The sensor performance is tested with standard gas and the result shows a 1σ minimum detectable concentration of ammonia is about 200 ppb with 1 sec time resolution

Surface Acoustic WaveAmmonia Sensors Based on ST-cut Quartz under Periodic Al Structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Yau Su

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Surface acoustic wave (SAW devices are key components for sensing applications. SAW propagation under a periodic grating was investigated in this work. The theoretical method used here is the space harmonic method. We also applied the results of SAW propagation studied in this work to design a two-port resonator with an Al grating on ST-cut quartz. The measured frequency responses of the resonator were similar to the simulation ones. Then, the chemical interface of polyaniline/WO3 composites was coated on the SAW sensor for ammonia detection. The SAW sensor responded to ammonia gas and could be regenerated using dry nitrogen.

Impact of interfacial interactions on optical and ammonia sensing in ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

gas sensing. The hybrid ZnO/PANI structure was obtained by the addition of PANI on the surface of ZnO. The ... culty in fine particle distribution because of abnormal grain growth at .... the form of emeraldine salt (Zhang et al 2005; Mazeikiene.

Ammonia chemistry in a flameless jet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zieba, Mariusz; Schuster, Anja; Scheffknecht, Guenter [Institute of Process Engineering and Power Plant Technology, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 23, D-70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Brink, Anders; Hupa, Mikko [Process Chemistry Centre, Aabo Akademi University, Biskopsgatan 8, 20500 Aabo (Finland)

2009-10-15

In this paper, the nitrogen chemistry in an ammonia (NH{sub 3}) doped flameless jet is investigated using a kinetic reactor network model. The reactor network model is used to explain the main differences in ammonia chemistry for methane (CH{sub 4})-containing fuels and methane-free fuels. The chemical pathways of nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}) formation and destruction are identified using rate-of-production analysis. The results show that in the case of natural gas, ammonia reacts relatively late at fuel lean condition leading to high NO{sub x} emissions. In the pre-ignition zone, the ammonia chemistry is blocked due to the absence of free radicals which are consumed by methane-methyl radical (CH{sub 3}) conversion. In the case of methane-free gas, the ammonia reacted very rapidly and complete decomposition was reached in the fuel rich region of the jet. In this case the necessary radicals for the ammonia conversion are generated from hydrogen (H{sub 2}) oxidation. (author)

Zn doped MoO3 nanobelts and the enhanced gas sensing properties to ethanol

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shuang; Liu, Yueli; Chen, Tao; Jin, Wei; Yang, Tingqiang; Cao, Minchi; Liu, Shunshun; Zhou, Jing; Zakharova, Galina S.; Chen, Wen

2017-01-01

Zn doped MoO3 nanobelts with the thickness of 120-275 nm, width of 0.3-1.4 μm and length of more than 100 μm are prepared by hydrothermal reaction. The operating temperature of sensors based on Zn doped MoO3 nanobelts is 100-380 °C with a better response to low concentration of ethanol. The highest response value of sensors based on Zn doped MoO3 to 1000 ppm ethanol at 240 °C is 321, which is about 15 times higher than that of pure MoO3 nanobelts. The gas sensors based on Zn doped MoO3 nanobelts possess good selectivity to ethanol compared with methanol, ammonia, acetone and toluene, which implies that it would be a good candidate in the potential application. The improvement of gas sensing properties may be attributed to the increasing absorbed ethanol, the decreasing probability of ethoxy recombination, the promoted dehydrogenation progress at lower temperature, and the narrowed band gap by Zn doping.

Fabrication of Cubic p-n Heterojunction-Like NiO/In2O3 Composite Microparticles and Their Enhanced Gas Sensing Characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hou Xuemei

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Oxide semiconductor In2O3 has been extensively used as a gas sensing material for the detection of various toxic gases. However, the pure In2O3 sensor is always suffering from its low sensitivity. In the present study, a dramatic enhancement of sensing characteristic of cubic In2O3 was achieved by deliberately fabricating p-n heterojunction-like NiO/In2O3 composite microparticles as sensor material. The NiO-decorated In2O3 p-n heterojunction-like sensors were prepared through the hydrothermal transformation method. The as-synthesized products were characterized using SEM-EDS, XRD, and FT-IR, and their gas sensing characteristics were investigated by detecting the gas response. The experimental results showed that the response of the NiO/In2O3 sensors to 600 ppm methanal was 85.5 at 260°C, revealing a dramatic enhancement over the pure In2O3 cubes (21.1 at 260°C. Further, a selective detection of methanol with inappreciable cross-response to other gases, like formaldehyde, benzene, methylbenzene, trichloromethane, ethanol, and ammonia, was achieved. The cause for the enhanced gas response was discussed in detailed. In view of the facile method of fabrication of such composite sensors and the superior gas response performance of samples, the cubic p-n heterojunction-like NiO/In2O3 sensors present to be a promising and viable strategy for the detection of indoor air pollution.

Electrical and gas sensing properties of novel cobalt(II), copper(II), manganese(III) phthalocyanines carrying ethyl 7-oxy-4,8-dimethylcoumarin-3-propanoate moieties

Science.gov (United States)

Köksoy, Baybars; Aygün, Meryem; Çapkin, Aylin; Dumludağ, Fatih; Bulut, Mustafa

The synthesis of metallophthalocyanines (M = Co, Cu, Mn) bearing four ethyl 7-oxy-4,8-dimethylcoumarin-3-propanoate moieties was performed. These novel compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, 1H-NMR spectroscopy, FT-IR, UV-vis and mass spectral data. DC and AC electrical properties of the films of metallophthalocyanines were investigated in the temperature range of 295-523 K. AC measurements were performed in the frequency range of 40-105 Hz. Activation energy values of the films took place between 0.55 eV-0.93 eV. Impedance spectroscopy measurements revealed that bulk resistance decreases with increasing temperature, indicating semiconductor properties. DC conductivity results also supported this result. Their gas sensing properties were also investigated for the vapors of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), n-butyl acetate (200-3200 ppm) and ammonia (7000-56000 ppm) between temperatures 25-100°C. Sensitivity and response times of the films for the tested vapors were reported. The results were found to be reversible and sensitive to the vapors of n-butyl acetate and ammonia. It was found that Mn(OAc)Pc showed better sensitivity than CoPc and CuPc for n-butyl acetate vapors at all measured vapor concentrations and temperatures. Mn(OAc)Pc also showed better sensitivity than CoPc and CuPc for ammonia vapors at 22°C. Co(II), Cu(II), Mn(III)OAc phthalocyanines bearing four ethyl 7-oxy-4,8-dimethyl-coumarin-3-propanoate moieties were prepared and characterized. DC and AC (40-105 Hz) electrical properties of the films of metallophthalocyanines were investigated in the temperature range of 295-523 K. Impedance spectroscopy measurements revealed that bulk resistance decreases with increasing temperature indicating semiconductor property. Their gas sensing properties were also investigated for the vapors of VOCs, n-butyl acetate (200-3200 ppm) and ammonia (7000-56000 ppm) between temperatures 25-100°C.

First-principles investigation on defect-induced silicene nanoribbons - A superior media for sensing NH3, NO2 and NO gas molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Walia, Gurleen Kaur; Randhawa, Deep Kamal Kaur

2018-04-01

In this paper, the electronic and transport properties of armchair silicene nanoribbons (ASiNRs) are analyzed for their application as highly selective and sensitive gas molecule sensors. The study is focused on sensing three nitrogen based gases; ammonia (NH3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitric oxide (NO), which depending upon their adsorption energy and charge transfer, form bonds of varying strength with ASiNRs. The negligible band gap of ASiNRs is tuned by adding a defect in ASiNRs. Adsorption of NH3 leads to the opening of band gap whereas on adsorption of NO2 and NO, ASiNRs exhibit metallic nature. Distinctly divergent electronic and transport properties of ASiNRs are observed and on adsorption of NH3, NO2 and NO, renders them suitable for sensing them. All gas molecules show stronger adsorption on defective ASiNRs (D-ASiNRs) as compared to pristine ASiNRs (P-ASiNRs). The work reveals that introduction of defect can drastically improve the sensitivity of ASiNRs.

Effect of H{sub 2}S on the catalytic decomposition of tar and ammonia with dolomite and sintered iron ore in synthetic gasification gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hepola, J [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland)

1997-12-31

The toluene-decomposing activity of calcined dolomite was not affected by the H{sub 2}S content of synthetic gasification gas. Iron was active with respect to toluene and ammonia at metallic state. The increase of the H{sub 2}S content of synthetic gasification gas (0 - 500 ppmv) decreased the tar-decomposing activity but not the ammonia- decomposing activity of sintered iron ore. (author) (12 refs.)

Effect of H{sub 2}S on the catalytic decomposition of tar and ammonia with dolomite and sintered iron ore in synthetic gasification gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hepola, J. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland)

1996-12-31

The toluene-decomposing activity of calcined dolomite was not affected by the H{sub 2}S content of synthetic gasification gas. Iron was active with respect to toluene and ammonia at metallic state. The increase of the H{sub 2}S content of synthetic gasification gas (0 - 500 ppmv) decreased the tar-decomposing activity but not the ammonia- decomposing activity of sintered iron ore. (author) (12 refs.)

Metal oxide nanostructures and their gas sensing properties: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yu-Feng; Liu, Shao-Bo; Meng, Fan-Li; Liu, Jin-Yun; Jin, Zhen; Kong, Ling-Tao; Liu, Jin-Huai

2012-01-01

Metal oxide gas sensors are predominant solid-state gas detecting devices for domestic, commercial and industrial applications, which have many advantages such as low cost, easy production, and compact size. However, the performance of such sensors is significantly influenced by the morphology and structure of sensing materials, resulting in a great obstacle for gas sensors based on bulk materials or dense films to achieve highly-sensitive properties. Lots of metal oxide nanostructures have been developed to improve the gas sensing properties such as sensitivity, selectivity, response speed, and so on. Here, we provide a brief overview of metal oxide nanostructures and their gas sensing properties from the aspects of particle size, morphology and doping. When the particle size of metal oxide is close to or less than double thickness of the space-charge layer, the sensitivity of the sensor will increase remarkably, which would be called "small size effect", yet small size of metal oxide nanoparticles will be compactly sintered together during the film coating process which is disadvantage for gas diffusion in them. In view of those reasons, nanostructures with many kinds of shapes such as porous nanotubes, porous nanospheres and so on have been investigated, that not only possessed large surface area and relatively mass reactive sites, but also formed relatively loose film structures which is an advantage for gas diffusion. Besides, doping is also an effective method to decrease particle size and improve gas sensing properties. Therefore, the gas sensing properties of metal oxide nanostructures assembled by nanoparticles are reviewed in this article. The effect of doping is also summarized and finally the perspectives of metal oxide gas sensor are given.

Ammonia as a respiratory gas in water and air-breathing fishes.

Science.gov (United States)

Randall, David J; Ip, Yuen K

2006-11-01

Ammonia is produced in the liver and excreted as NH(3) by diffusion across the gills. Elevated ammonia results in an increase in gill ventilation, perhaps via stimulation of gill oxygen chemo-receptors. Acidification of the water around the fish by carbon dioxide and acid excretion enhances ammonia excretion and constitutes "environmental ammonia detoxification". Fish have difficulties in excreting ammonia in alkaline water or high concentrations of environmental ammonia, or when out of water. The mudskipper, Periphthalmodon schlosseri, is capable of active NH(4)(+) transport, maintaining low internal levels of ammonia. To prevent a back flux of NH(3), these air-breathing fish can increase gill acid excretion and reduce the membrane NH(3) permeability by modifying the phospholipid and cholesterol compositions of their skin. Several air-breathing fish species can excrete ammonia into air through NH(3) volatilization. Some fish detoxify ammonia to glutamine or urea. The brains of some fish can tolerate much higher levels of ammonia than other animals. Studies of these fish may offer insights into the nature of ammonia toxicity in general.

Detailed investigation of proposed gas-phase syntheses of ammonia in dense interstellar clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herbst, E.; Defrees, D.J.; Mclean, A.D.; Molecular Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA; IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, CA)

1987-01-01

The initial reactions of the Herbst and Klemperer (1973) and the Dalgarno (1974) schemes (I and II, respectively) for the gas-phase synthesis of ammonia in dense interstellar clouds were investigated. The rate of the slightly endothermic reaction between N(+) and H2 to yield NH(+) and H (scheme I) under interstellar conditions was reinvestigated under thermal and nonthermal conditions based on laboratory data. It was found that the relative importance of this reaction in synthesizing ammonia is determined by how the laboratory data at low temperature are interpreted. On the other hand, the exothermic reaction between N and H3(+) to form NH2(+) + H (scheme II) was calculated to possess significant activation energy and, therefore, to have a negligible rate coefficient under interstellar conditions. Consequently, this reaction cannot take place appreciably in interstellar clouds. 41 references

Reactor for removing ammonia

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Weifang [Livermore, CA; Stewart, Kenneth D [Valley Springs, CA

2009-11-17

Disclosed is a device for removing trace amounts of ammonia from a stream of gas, particularly hydrogen gas, prepared by a reformation apparatus. The apparatus is used to prevent PEM "poisoning" in a fuel cell receiving the incoming hydrogen stream.

Sensing the gas metal arc welding process

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, N. M.; Johnson, J. A.; Smartt, H. B.; Watkins, A. D.; Larsen, E. D.; Taylor, P. L.; Waddoups, M. A.

1994-01-01

Control of gas metal arc welding (GMAW) requires real-time sensing of the process. Three sensing techniques for GMAW are being developed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). These are (1) noncontacting ultrasonic sensing using a laser/EMAT (electromagnetic acoustic transducer) to detect defects in the solidified weld on a pass-by-pass basis, (2) integrated optical sensing using a CCD camera and a laser stripe to obtain cooling rate and weld bead geometry information, and (3) monitoring fluctuations in digitized welding voltage data to detect the mode of metal droplet transfer and assure that the desired mass input is achieved.

Studies on the sensing behaviour of nanocrystalline CuGa(2)O(4) towards hydrogen, liquefied petroleum gas and ammonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Biswas, Soumya Kanti; Sarkar, Arpita; Pathak, Amita; Pramanik, Panchanan

2010-06-15

In the present article, the gas sensing behaviour of nanocrystalline CuGa(2)O(4) towards H(2), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and NH(3) has been reported for the first time. Nanocrystalline powders of CuGa(2)O(4) having average particle sizes in the range of 30-60nm have been prepared through thermal decomposition of an aqueous precursor solution comprising copper nitrate, gallium nitrate and triethanol amine (TEA), followed by calcination at 750 degrees C for 2h. The synthesized nanocrystalline CuGa(2)O(4) powders have been characterised through X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) study, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) surface area measurement. The synthesized CuGa(2)O(4) having spinel structure with specific surface area of 40m(2)/g exhibits maximum sensitivity towards H(2), LPG, and NH(3) at 350 degrees C.

Ethylene Gas Sensing Properties of Tin Oxide Nanowires Synthesized via CVD Method

Science.gov (United States)

Akhir, Maisara A. M.; Mohamed, Khairudin; Rezan, Sheikh A.; Arafat, M. M.; Haseeb, A. S. M. A.; Uda, M. N. A.; Nuradibah, M. A.

2018-03-01

This paper studies ethylene gas sensing performance of tin oxide (SnO2) nanowires (NWs) as sensing material synthesized using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique. The effect of NWs diameter on ethylene gas sensing characteristics were investigated. SnO2 NWs with diameter of ∼40 and ∼240 nm were deposited onto the alumina substrate with printed gold electrodes and tested for sensing characteristic toward ethylene gas. From the finding, the smallest diameter of NWs (42 nm) exhibit fast response and recovery time and higher sensitivity compared to largest diameter of NWs (∼240 nm). Both sensor show good reversibility features for ethylene gas sensor.

Validation of myocardial blood flow estimation with nitrogen-13 ammonia PET by the argon inert gas technique in humans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotzerke, J.; Glatting, G.; Neumaier, B.; Reske, S.N.; Hoff, J. van den; Hoeher, M.; Woehrle, J. n

2001-01-01

We simultaneously determined global myocardial blood flow (MBF) by the argon inert gas technique and by nitrogen-13 ammonia positron emission tomography (PET) to validate PET-derived MBF values in humans. A total of 19 patients were investigated at rest (n=19) and during adenosine-induced hyperaemia (n=16). Regional coronary artery stenoses were ruled out by angiography. The argon inert gas method uses the difference of arterial and coronary sinus argon concentrations during inhalation of a mixture of 75% argon and 25% oxygen to estimate global MBF. It can be considered as valid as the microspheres technique, which, however, cannot be applied in humans. Dynamic PET was performed after injection of 0.8±0.2 GBq 13 N-ammonia and MBF was calculated applying a two-tissue compartment model. MBF values derived from the argon method at rest and during the hyperaemic state were 1.03±0.24 ml min -1 g -1 and 2.64±1.02 ml min -1 g -1 , respectively. MBF values derived from ammonia PET at rest and during hyperaemia were 0.95±0.23 ml min -1 g -1 and 2.44±0.81 ml min -1 g -1 , respectively. The correlation between the two methods was close (y=0.92x+0.14, r=0.96; P 13 N-ammonia PET. (orig.)

Gas Sensing Properties of ZnO-SnO2 Nanostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Weigen; Li, Qianzhu; Xu, Lingna; Zeng, Wen

2015-02-01

One-dimensional (1D) semiconductor metal oxide nanostructures have attracted increasing attention in electrochemistry, optics, magnetic, and gas sensing fields for the good properties. N-type low dimensional semiconducting oxides such as SnO2 and ZnO have been known for the detection of inflammable or toxic gases. In this paper, we fabricated the ZnO-SnO2 and SnO2 nanoparticles by hydrothermal synthesis. Microstructure characterization was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and surface morphologies for both the pristine and doped samples were observed using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Then we made thin film gas sensor to study the gas sensing properties of ZnO-SnO2 and SnO2 gas sensor to H2 and CO. A systematic comparison study reveals an enhanced gas sensing performance for the sensor made of SnO2 and ZnO toward H2 and CO over that of the commonly applied undecorated SnO2 nanoparticles. The improved gas sensing properties are attributed to the size of grains and pronounced electron transfer between the compound nanostructures and the absorbed oxygen species as well as to the heterojunctions of the ZnO nanoparticles to the SnO2 nanoparticles, which provide additional reaction rooms. The results represent an advance of compound nanostructures in further enhancing the functionality of gas sensors, and this facile method could be applicable to many sensing materials, offering a new avenue and direction to detect gases of interest based on composite tin oxide nanoparticles.

Infrared laser spectroscopic trace gas sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Sigrist, Markus

2016-04-01

Chemical sensing and analyses of gas samples by laser spectroscopic methods are attractive owing to several advantages such as high sensitivity and specificity, large dynamic range, multi-component capability, and lack of pretreatment or preconcentration procedures. The preferred wavelength range comprises the fundamental molecular absorption range in the mid-infared between 3 and 15 μm, whereas the near-infrared range covers the (10-100 times weaker) higher harmonics and combination bands. The availability of near-infrared and, particularly, of broadly tunable mid-infrared sources like external cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCLs), interband cascade lasers (ICLs), difference frequency generation (DFG), optical parametric oscillators (OPOs), recent developments of diode-pumped lead salt semiconductor lasers, of supercontinuum sources or of frequency combs have eased the implementation of laser-based sensing devices. Sensitive techniques for molecular absorption measurements include multipass absorption, various configurations of cavity-enhanced techniques such as cavity ringdown (CRD), or of photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) including quartz-enhanced (QEPAS) or cantilever-enhanced (CEPAS) techniques. The application requirements finally determine the optimum selection of laser source and detection scheme. In this tutorial talk I shall discuss the basic principles, present various experimental setups and illustrate the performance of selected systems for chemical sensing of selected key atmospheric species. Applications include an early example of continuous vehicle emission measurements with a mobile CO2-laser PAS system [1]. The fast analysis of C1-C4 alkanes at sub-ppm concentrations in gas mixtures is of great interest for the petrochemical industry and was recently achieved with a new type of mid-infrared diode-pumped piezoelectrically tuned lead salt vertical external cavity surface emitting laser (VECSEL) [2]. Another example concerns measurements on short

Nitrogen fate model for gas-phase ammonia-enhanced in situ bioventing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marshall, T.R.

1995-01-01

Subsurface bioremediation of contaminants is sometimes limited by the availability of nitrogen. Introduction of gaseous ammonia to the subsurface is a feasible and economical approach to enhance biodegradation in some environments. A gaseous nutrient source may be a practical option for sites where surface application of liquid nutrients is not possible, such as sites with shallow groundwater or sites with surface operations. A conceptual nitrogen fate model was developed to provide remediation scientists and engineers with some practical guidelines in the use of ammonia-enhanced bioventing. Ammonia supplied to the subsurface dissolves readily in soil moisture and sorbs strongly to soil particles. The ammonium ion is the preferred nutrient form of many microorganisms. Some of the ammonia will be converted to nitrate by ammonia-oxidizing organisms. Field monitoring data from an operating ammonia-enhanced bioventing remediation site for diesel fuel contamination are presented. Conservative additions of ammonia promoted appreciable increases in evolved carbon dioxide and rate of oxygen utilization. An overabundance of added ammonia promoted formation of methane from likely anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation in the presence of nitrate as the electron acceptor

Hepatitis B virus evasion from cGAS sensing in human hepatocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Verrier, Eloi R; Yim, Seung-Ae; Heydmann, Laura; El Saghire, Houssein; Bach, Charlotte; Turon-Lagot, Vincent; Mailly, Laurent; Durand, Sarah C; Lucifora, Julie; Durantel, David; Pessaux, Patrick; Manel, Nicolas; Hirsch, Ivan; Zeisel, Mirjam B; Pochet, Nathalie; Schuster, Catherine; Baumert, Thomas F

2018-04-20

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease and cancer worldwide. The mechanisms of viral genome sensing and the evasion of innate immune responses by HBV infection are still poorly understood. Recently, the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) was identified as a DNA sensor. In this study, we aimed to investigate the functional role of cGAS in sensing of HBV infection and elucidate the mechanisms of viral evasion. We performed functional studies including loss- and gain-of-function experiments combined with cGAS effector gene expression profiling in an infectious cell culture model, primary human hepatocytes and HBV-infected human liver chimeric mice. Here we show that cGAS is expressed in the human liver, primary human hepatocytes and human liver chimeric mice. While naked relaxed-circular HBV DNA is sensed in a cGAS-dependent manner in hepatoma cell lines and primary human hepatocytes, host cell recognition of viral nucleic acids is abolished during HBV infection, suggesting escape from sensing, likely during packaging of the genome into the viral capsid. While the hepatocyte cGAS pathway is functionally active, as shown by reduction of viral cccDNA levels in gain-of-function studies, HBV infection suppressed cGAS expression and function in cell culture models and humanized mice. HBV exploits multiple strategies to evade sensing and antiviral activity of cGAS and its effector pathways. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Hydrogen gas sensing feature of polyaniline/titania (rutile) nanocomposite at environmental conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Milani Moghaddam, Hossain, E-mail: hossainmilani@yahoo.com [Solid State Physics Department, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Nasirian, Shahruz [Solid State Physics Department, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Basic Sciences Department, Mazandaran University of Science and Technology, Babol (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2014-10-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Polyaniline/titania (rutile) nanocomposite (TPNC) was synthesized by a chemical oxidative polymerization method. • Surface morphology and titania (rutile) wt% in TPNC sensors were significant factors for H{sub 2} gas sensing. • TPNC sensors could be used for H{sub 2} gas sensing at different R.H. humidity. • TPNC Sensors exhibited considerable sensitive, reversible and repeatable response to H{sub 2} gas at environmental conditions. - Abstract: The resistance-based sensors of polyaniline/titania (rutile) nanocomposite (TPNC) were prepared by spin coating technique onto an epoxy glass substrate with Cu-interdigited electrodes to study their hydrogen (H{sub 2}) gas sensing features. Our findings are that the change of the surface morphology, porosity and wt% of titania in TPNCs have a significant effect on H{sub 2} gas sensing of sensors. All of the sensors had a reproducibility response toward 0.8 vol% H{sub 2} gas at room temperature, air pressure and 50% relative humidity. A sensor with 40 wt% of titania nanoparticles had better response/recovery time and the response than other sensors. Moreover, H{sub 2} gas sensing mechanism of TPNC sensors based contact areas and the correlation of energy levels between PANI chains and the titania grains were studied.

Gas sensing at the nanoscale: engineering SWCNT-ITO nano-heterojunctions for the selective detection of NH3 and NO2 target molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Rigoni, F.; Drera, G.; Pagliara, S.; Perghem, E.; Pintossi, C.; Goldoni, A.; Sangaletti, L.

2017-01-01

The gas response of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) functionalized with indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles (NP) has been studied at room temperature and an enhanced sensitivity to ammonia and nitrogen dioxide is demonstrated. The higher sensitivity in the functionalized sample is related to the creation of nano-heterojunctions at the interface between SWCNT bundles and ITO NP. Furthermore, the different response of the two devices upon NO2 exposure provides a way to enhance also the selectivity. This behavior is rationalized by considering a gas sensing mechanism based on the build-up of space-charge layers at the junctions. Finally, full recovery of the signal after exposure to NO2 is achieved by UV irradiation for the functionalized sample, where the ITO NP can play a role to hinder the poisoning effects on SWCNT due to NO2 chemisorption.

Gas sensor with multiple internal reference electrodes and sensing electrodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2016-01-01

The invention relates to a potentiometric gas sensor, or potentiometric gas detection element, with multiple internal reference electrodes and multiple sensing electrodes for determining the concentrations of gas components in a gaseous mixture. The sensor for gas detection comprises: a solid...

Atmospheric Fate and Transport of Agricultural Dust and Ammonia

Science.gov (United States)

Hiranuma, N.; Brooks, S. D.; Thornton, D. C.; Auvermann, B. W.; Fitz, D. R.

2008-12-01

Agricultural fugitive dust and odor are significant sources of localized air pollution in the semi-arid southern Great Plains. Daily episodes of ground-level fugitive dust emissions from the cattle feedlots associated with increased cattle activity in the early evenings are routinely observed, while consistently high ammonia is observed throughout the day. Here we present measurements of aerosol size distributions and concentrations of gas and particulate phase ammonia species collected at a feedlot in Texas during summers of 2006, 2007 and 2008. A GRIMM sequential mobility particle sizer and GRIMM 1.108 aerosol spectrometer were used to determine aerosol size distributions in the range of 10 nm to 20 µm aerodynamic diameter at the downwind and upwind edges of the facility. Using aqueous scrubbers, simultaneous measurements of both gas phase and total ammonia species present in the gas and particle phases were also collected. In addition to the continuous measurements at the edges of the facility, coincident aerosol and ammonia measurements were obtain at an additional site further downwind (~3.5 km). Taken together our measurements will be used to quantify aerosol and ammonia dispersion and transport. Relationships between the fate and transport of the aerosols and ammonia will be discussed.

Fabrication, characterization and gas sensing properties of gold ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Calixarenes are a group of materials that are widely used for gas sensing studies because of their simple synthesis, conformational flexibility, binding group tunability, variability in their cavity sizes and improved selectivity to different gas molecules. In recent years it has been shown that incorporation of gold nanoparticles ...

Methods for Gas Sensing with Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Science.gov (United States)

Kaul, Anupama B. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

Methods for gas sensing with single-walled carbon nanotubes are described. The methods comprise biasing at least one carbon nanotube and exposing to a gas environment to detect variation in temperature as an electrical response.

Loss of ammonia during electron-transfer dissociation of deuterated peptides as an inherent gauge of gas-phase hydrogen scrambling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rand, Kasper D; Zehl, Martin; Jensen, Ole Nørregaard

2010-01-01

detected by a depletion of deuterium when deuterated ammonia is lost from peptides during ETD. This straightforward method requires no modifications to the experimental workflow and has the great advantage that the occurrence of hydrogen scrambling can be directly detected in the actual peptides analyzed......The application of electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) to obtain single-residue resolution in hydrogen exchange-mass spectrometry (HX-MS) experiments has recently been demonstrated. For such measurements, it is critical to ensure that the level of gas-phase hydrogen scrambling is negligible. Here...... we utilize the abundant loss of ammonia upon ETD of peptide ions as a universal reporter of positional randomization of the exchangeable hydrogens (hydrogen scrambling) during HX-ETD experiments. We show that the loss of ammonia from peptide ions proceeds without depletion of deuterium when employing...

TiO2 Nanotubes: Recent Advances in Synthesis and Gas Sensing Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giorgio Sberveglieri

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Synthesis—particularly by electrochemical anodization-, growth mechanism and chemical sensing properties of pure, doped and mixed titania tubular arrays are reviewed. The first part deals on how anodization parameters affect the size, shape and morphology of titania nanotubes. In the second part fabrication of sensing devices based on titania nanotubes is presented, together with their most notable gas sensing performances. Doping largely improves conductivity and enhances gas sensing performances of TiO2 nanotubes

Deuterium concentration deterioration in feed synthesis gas from ammonia plant to heavy water plant (Preprint No. ED-5)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sah, A.K.

1989-04-01

Heavy Water Plant (Thal) is designed for 110 T/ Year capacity (55 T/Year each stream), with inlet deuterium concentration of feed synthesis gas at 115 ppm and depleted to 15 ppm. During first start up of plant the inlet concentration to feed synthesis gas was about 97 ppm. At that time the rich condensate recirculation was not there. To make the effective recirculation of deuterium rich condensate and minimum posssible losses some modifications were carried out in ammonia plant. Major ones are: (i)Demineralised (DM) water export for heavy water plant and urea plant which was having deuterium rich DM water connection was connected with DM water of urea plant which is not rich in deuterium, (ii)Sample cooler pump suction was connected with raw water, (iii)Ammonia plant line No.II condensate stripper was rectified during annual shut down to avoid excessive steam venting from its top and other draining, and (iv)Stripper condensate directly connected to make up water bypassing open settler to avoid evaporation and diffusion losses. With these modifications the deuterium concentration in feed synthesis gas improved to about 105 ppm. To improve it to 115 ppm, further modifications are suggested. (author). 5 figs

Continuous determination of gaseous ammonia in the ambient atmosphere using fluorescence derivatization

Science.gov (United States)

Abbas, Rana; Tanner, Roger L.

A method for continuous determination of ambient ammonia levels employing o-phthalaldehyde fluorescence derivatization is described. A simplified Venturi scrubber and gas-liquid separator have been employed for reproducible measurements of ⩾ 0.1 ppb ambient ammonia with less than 2 min time resolution. The scrubbing efficiency of the ammonia gas collection system was determined to be 29 ± 1 %. During 4 d in August 1979 ambient ammonia levels at the Brookhaven National Laboratory site averaged about 1.5 ± 1.1 ppb during afternoon daylight hours.

Hot gas stripping of ammonia and carbon dioxide from simulated and actual in situ retort waters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murphy, C.L.

1979-01-01

This study proved that ammonia and carbon dioxide could be removed from retort water by hot gas stripping and that overall transfer rates were slower than for physical desorption alone. The ammonia in solution complexed with the carbonate species with the result that the CO/sub 2/ transfer rates were linked to the relatively slower desorption of NH/sub 3/ from solution. Ionic reactions in the liquid phase limited the quantity of free NH/sub 3/ and CO/sub 2/, thus decreasing the driving forces for mass transfer. The retort water exhibited foaming tendencies that affected the interfacial area which should be taken into account if a stripping tower is considered on a larger scale. Transfer unit heights were calculated for the process conditions studied and correlated such that scaleup to increased capacities is possible.

Scale-Up Information for Gas-Phase Ammonia Treatment of Uranium in the Vadose Zone at the Hanford Site Central Plateau

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Truex, Michael J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Szecsody, James E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Zhong, Lirong [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Thomle, Jonathan N. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Johnson, Timothy C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2014-09-01

Uranium is present in the vadose zone at the Hanford Central Plateau and is of concern for protection of groundwater. The Deep Vadose Zone Treatability Test Plan for the Hanford Central Plateau identified gas-phase treatment and geochemical manipulation as potentially effective treatment approaches for uranium and technetium in the Hanford Central Plateau vadose zone. Based on laboratory evaluation, use of ammonia vapor was selected as the most promising uranium treatment candidate for further development and field testing. While laboratory tests have shown that ammonia treatment effectively reduces the mobility of uranium, additional information is needed to enable deployment of this technology for remediation. Of importance for field applications are aspects of the technology associated with effective distribution of ammonia to a targeted treatment zone, understanding the fate of injected ammonia and its impact on subsurface conditions, and identifying effective monitoring approaches. In addition, information is needed to select equipment and operational parameters for a field design. As part of development efforts for the ammonia technology for remediation of vadose zone uranium contamination, field scale-up issues were identified and have been addressed through a series of laboratory and modeling efforts. This report presents a conceptual description for field application of the ammonia treatment process, engineering calculations to support treatment design, ammonia transport information, field application monitoring approaches, and a discussion of processes affecting the fate of ammonia in the subsurface. The report compiles this information from previous publications and from recent research and development activities. The intent of this report is to provide technical information about these scale-up elements to support the design and operation of a field test for the ammonia treatment technology.

Sensitivity Improvement of Ammonia Gas Sensor Based on Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene):Poly(styrenesulfonate) by Employing Doping of Bromo cresol Green

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aba, L.; Yusuf, Y.; Triyana, K.; Aba, L.; Siswanta, D.

2014-01-01

The aim of this research is to improve the sensitivity of ammonia gas sensor (hereafter referred to as sensor) based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) by employing the doping dye of bromo cresol green (BCG). The doping process was carried out by mixing the BCG and the PEDOT:PSS in a solution with an optimum ratio of 1:1 in volume. The sensor was fabricated by using spin-coating technique followed by annealing process. For comparison, the BCG thin film and the PEDOT:PSS thin film were also deposited with the same method on glass substrates. For optical characterization, a red-light laser diode with a 650 nm wavelength was used as light source. Under illumination with the laser diode, the bare glass substrate and BCG film showed no absorption. The sensor exhibited linear response to ammonia gas for the range of 200 ppm to 800 ppm. It increased the sensitivity of sensor based on PEDOT:PSS with BCG doping being about twofold higher compared to that of without BCG doping. Furthermore, the response time and the recovery time of the sensor were found very fast. It suggests that the optical sensor based on BCG-doped PEDOT:PSS is promising for application as ammonia gas sensor.

Impact Assessment and Environmental Evaluation of Various Ammonia Production Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Bicer, Yusuf; Dincer, Ibrahim; Vezina, Greg; Raso, Frank

2017-05-01

In the current study, conventional resources-based ammonia generation routes are comparatively studied through a comprehensive life cycle assessment. The selected ammonia generation options range from mostly used steam methane reforming to partial oxidation of heavy oil. The chosen ammonia synthesis process is the most common commercially available Haber-Bosch process. The essential energy input for the methods are used from various conventional resources such as coal, nuclear, natural gas and heavy oil. Using the life cycle assessment methodology, the environmental impacts of selected methods are identified and quantified from cradle to gate. The life cycle assessment outcomes of the conventional resources based ammonia production routes show that nuclear electrolysis-based ammonia generation method yields the lowest global warming and climate change impacts while the coal-based electrolysis options bring higher environmental problems. The calculated greenhouse gas emission from nuclear-based electrolysis is 0.48 kg CO2 equivalent while it is 13.6 kg CO2 per kg of ammonia for coal-based electrolysis method.

Experimental determination of methane hydrate formation in the presence of ammonia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, T.B.; Wang, L.Y.; Liu, A.X.; Guo, X.Q.; Chen, G.J.; Ma, Q.L.; Li, G.W. [China Univ. of Petroleum, Beijng (China). State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing

2008-07-01

Gas hydrates are non-stoichiometric inclusion compounds that are created by a lattice of water molecules. The host molecule has a strong hydrogen bond and encages low molecular weight gases or volatile liquids. The guest molecules favor hydrate formation. Historically, gas hydrates have been thought to be problematic during natural gas transportation because the formed solid hydrate can block pipelines and cause tubing and casing collapse. However, the discovery of huge deposits of gas hydrates in deep-sea sediments and in permafrost has renewed interest in gas hydrates as a new energy resource. This paper discussed a study that is a part of an ongoing experimental and computational program dealing with the thermodynamics of gas hydrate formation in ammonia-water systems. The purpose of the study was to develop a new method to separate and recycle the vent gas of ammonia synthesis by forming or dissociating hydrate. The hydrate-forming conditions of methane in ammonia and water system were studied and reported in this paper with reference to the experimental apparatus and procedure. The materials and preparation of samples were also explained. The experimental results showed that the ammonia had an inhibitive effect on the hydrate formation. 26 refs., 2 tabs., 3 figs.

Substitutionally doped phosphorene: electronic properties and gas sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Suvansinpan, Nawat; Hussain, Fayyaz; Zhang, Gang; Chiu, Cheng Hsin; Cai, Yongqing; Zhang, Yong-Wei

2016-02-12

Phosphorene, a new elemental two-dimensional material, has attracted increasing attention owing to its intriguing electronic properties. In particular, pristine phospohorene, due to its ultrahigh surface-volume ratio and high chemical activity, has been shown to be promising for gas sensing (Abbas et al 2015 ACS Nano 9 5618). To further enhance its sensing ability, we perform first-principles calculations based on density functional theory to study substitutionally doped phosphorene with 17 different atoms, focusing on structures, energetics, electronic properties and gas sensing. Our calculations reveal that anionic X (X = O, C and S) dopants have a large binding energy and highly dispersive electronic states, signifying the formation of covalent X-P bonds and thus strong structural stability. Alkali atom (Li and Na) doping is found to donate most of the electrons in the outer s-orbital by forming ionic bonds with P, and the band gap decreases by pushing down the conduction band, suggesting that the optical and electronic properties of the doped phosphorene can be tailored. For doping with VIIIB-group (Fe, Co and Ni) elements, a strong affinity is predicted and the binding energy and charge transfer are correlated strongly with their electronegativity. By examining NO molecule adsorption, we find that these metal doped phosphorenes (MDPs) in general exhibit a significantly enhanced chemical activity compared with pristine phosphorene. Our study suggests that substitutionally doped phosphorene shows many intriguing electronic and optic properties different from pristine phosphorene and MDPs are promising in chemical applications involving molecular adsorption and desorption processes, such as materials growth, catalysis, gas sensing and storage.

Synthesis of ammonia using sodium melt.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawamura, Fumio; Taniguchi, Takashi

2017-09-14

Research into inexpensive ammonia synthesis has increased recently because ammonia can be used as a hydrogen carrier or as a next generation fuel which does not emit CO 2 . Furthermore, improving the efficiency of ammonia synthesis is necessary, because current synthesis methods emit significant amounts of CO 2 . To achieve these goals, catalysts that can effectively reduce the synthesis temperature and pressure, relative to those required in the Haber-Bosch process, are required. Although several catalysts and novel ammonia synthesis methods have been developed previously, expensive materials or low conversion efficiency have prevented the displacement of the Haber-Bosch process. Herein, we present novel ammonia synthesis route using a Na-melt as a catalyst. Using this route, ammonia can be synthesized using a simple process in which H 2 -N 2 mixed gas passes through the Na-melt at 500-590 °C under atmospheric pressure. Nitrogen molecules dissociated by reaction with sodium then react with hydrogen, resulting in the formation of ammonia. Because of the high catalytic efficiency and low-cost of this molten-Na catalyst, it provides new opportunities for the inexpensive synthesis of ammonia and the utilization of ammonia as an energy carrier and next generation fuel.

Hydrogen gas sensing feature of polyaniline/titania (rutile) nanocomposite at environmental conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Milani Moghaddam, Hossain; Nasirian, Shahruz

2014-10-01

The resistance-based sensors of polyaniline/titania (rutile) nanocomposite (TPNC) were prepared by spin coating technique onto an epoxy glass substrate with Cu-interdigited electrodes to study their hydrogen (H2) gas sensing features. Our findings are that the change of the surface morphology, porosity and wt% of titania in TPNCs have a significant effect on H2 gas sensing of sensors. All of the sensors had a reproducibility response toward 0.8 vol% H2 gas at room temperature, air pressure and 50% relative humidity. A sensor with 40 wt% of titania nanoparticles had better response/recovery time and the response than other sensors. Moreover, H2 gas sensing mechanism of TPNC sensors based contact areas and the correlation of energy levels between PANI chains and the titania grains were studied.

Metal-core@metal oxide-shell nanomaterials for gas-sensing applications: a review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mirzaei, A.; Janghorban, K.; Hashemi, B. [Shiraz University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Neri, G., E-mail: gneri@unime.it [University of Messina, Department of Electronic Engineering, Chemistry and Industrial Engineering (Italy)

2015-09-15

With an ever-increasing number of applications in many advanced fields, gas sensors are becoming indispensable devices in our daily life. Among different types of gas sensors, conductometric metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gas sensors are found to be the most appealing for advanced applications in the automotive, biomedical, environmental, and safety sectors because of the their high sensitivity, reduced size, and low cost. To improve their sensing characteristics, new metal oxide-based nanostructures have thus been proposed in recent years as sensing materials. In this review, we extensively review gas-sensing properties of core@ shell nanocomposites in which metals as the core and metal oxides as the shell structure, both of nanometer sizes, are assembled into a single metal@metal oxide core–shell. These nanostructures not only combine the properties of both noble metals and metal oxides, but also bring unique synergetic functions in comparison with single-component materials. Up-dated achievements in the synthesis and characterization of metal@metal oxide core–shell nanostructures as well as their use in MOS sensors are here reported with the main objective of providing an overview about their gas-sensing properties.

Process for producing 13N-ammonia and device therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Akira; Suzuki, Hirofumi.

1997-01-01

Ethanol or hydrogen is added to purified water or distilled water for injection, they are filled into a target vessel, and proton beams are irradiated to produce 13N-ammonia in the target vessel. A target liquid containing the resultant is introduced to a heat-reaction vessel. A slight amount of weak alkali solution is added to the target liquid in the heat-reaction vessel. The reaction vessel is heated to evaporate water and 13N-ammonia, and they are transferred to a vial. In this case, nitrogen gas as a gas to be entrained is supplied. 13N-ammonia is subjected to bubbling into the distilled water for injection or physiological saline water and recovered into the vial. 13N-ammonia is thus separated and purified as an injection which is a medical labelled compound. (I.N.)

Distributed gas sensing with optical fibre photothermal interferometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yuechuan; Liu, Fei; He, Xiangge; Jin, Wei; Zhang, Min; Yang, Fan; Ho, Hoi Lut; Tan, Yanzhen; Gu, Lijuan

2017-12-11

We report the first distributed optical fibre trace-gas detection system based on photothermal interferometry (PTI) in a hollow-core photonic bandgap fibre (HC-PBF). Absorption of a modulated pump propagating in the gas-filled HC-PBF generates distributed phase modulation along the fibre, which is detected by a dual-pulse heterodyne phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (OTDR) system. Quasi-distributed sensing experiment with two 28-meter-long HC-PBF sensing sections connected by single-mode transmission fibres demonstrated a limit of detection (LOD) of ∼10 ppb acetylene with a pump power level of 55 mW and an effective noise bandwidth (ENBW) of 0.01 Hz, corresponding to a normalized detection limit of 5.5ppb⋅W/Hz. Distributed sensing experiment over a 200-meter-long sensing cable made of serially connected HC-PBFs demonstrated a LOD of ∼ 5 ppm with 62.5 mW peak pump power and 11.8 Hz ENBW, or a normalized detection limit of 312ppb⋅W/Hz. The spatial resolution of the current distributed detection system is limited to ∼ 30 m, but it is possible to reduce down to 1 meter or smaller by optimizing the phase detection system.

Impact Assessment and Environmental Evaluation of Various Ammonia Production Processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bicer, Yusuf; Dincer, Ibrahim; Vezina, Greg; Raso, Frank

2017-05-01

In the current study, conventional resources-based ammonia generation routes are comparatively studied through a comprehensive life cycle assessment. The selected ammonia generation options range from mostly used steam methane reforming to partial oxidation of heavy oil. The chosen ammonia synthesis process is the most common commercially available Haber-Bosch process. The essential energy input for the methods are used from various conventional resources such as coal, nuclear, natural gas and heavy oil. Using the life cycle assessment methodology, the environmental impacts of selected methods are identified and quantified from cradle to gate. The life cycle assessment outcomes of the conventional resources based ammonia production routes show that nuclear electrolysis-based ammonia generation method yields the lowest global warming and climate change impacts while the coal-based electrolysis options bring higher environmental problems. The calculated greenhouse gas emission from nuclear-based electrolysis is 0.48 kg CO 2 equivalent while it is 13.6 kg CO 2 per kg of ammonia for coal-based electrolysis method.

Novel top-contact monolayer pentacene-based thin-film transistor for ammonia gas detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirza, Misbah; Wang, Jiawei; Li, Dexing; Arabi, S Atika; Jiang, Chao

2014-04-23

We report on the fabrication of an organic field-effect transistor (OFET) of a monolayer pentacene thin film with top-contact electrodes for the aim of ammonia (NH3) gas detection by monitoring changes in its drain current. A top-contact configuration, in which source and drain electrodes on a flexible stamp [poly(dimethylsiloxane)] were directly contacted with the monolayer pentacene film, was applied to maintain pentacene arrangement ordering and enhance the monolayer OFET detection performance. After exposure to NH3 gas, the carrier mobility at the monolayer OFET channel decreased down to one-third of its original value, leading to a several orders of magnitude decrease in the drain current, which tremendously enhanced the gas detection sensitivity. This sensitivity enhancement to a limit of the 10 ppm level was attributed to an increase of charge trapping in the carrier channel, and the amount of trapped states was experimentally evaluated by the threshold voltage shift induced by the absorbed NH3 molecular analyte. In contrast, a conventional device with a 50-nm-thick pentacene layer displayed much higher mobility but lower response to NH3 gas, arising from the impediment of analyte penetrating into the conductive channel, owing to the thick pentacene film.

Development of Polymethylmethacrylate Based Composite for Gas Sensing Application

OpenAIRE

Devikala, S.; Kamaraj, P.

2011-01-01

Gas detection instruments are increasingly needed for industrial health and safety, environmental monitoring and process control. Conductive polymer composites have various industrial applications. The composite prepared by mixing carbon black with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) has very good gas sensing applications. The gas sensors based on carbon nanotube/polymer, ceramic and metal oxide composites such as epoxy, polyimide, PMMA / Barium titanate and tin oxide have also been developed. In t...

Thermodynamic analysis and optimization of an ammonia-water power system with LNG (liquefied natural gas) as its heat sink

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jiangfeng; Yan, Zhequan; Wang, Man; Dai, Yiping

2013-01-01

Due to a good behavior of ammonia-water during the two-phase heat addition process and the liquefied natural gas with great cold energy, an ammonia-water power system with LNG as its heat sink is proposed to utilize the low grade waste heat. Based on the thermodynamic mathematical models, the effects of key thermodynamic design parameters, including turbine inlet pressure, turbine inlet temperature, ammonia mass fraction, pinch temperature difference and approach temperature difference in the heat recovery vapor generator, on the system performance are examined from the view of both thermodynamics and economics. To obtain the optimum performance, multi-objective optimization is conducted to find the best thermodynamic design parameters from both thermodynamic and economic aspects using NSGA-II (Non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II). The exergy efficiency, total heat transfer capability and turbine size parameter are selected as three objective functions to maximize the exergy efficiency, and minimize the total heat transfer capability and turbine size parameter under the given waste heat conditions. The results show that turbine inlet pressure, turbine inlet temperature, ammonia mass fraction, pinch temperature difference and approach temperature difference have significant effects on the system performance. By multi-objective optimization, the Pareto frontier solution for the ammonia-water power system is obtained. - Highlights: ► An ammonia-water power system with LNG as its heat sink is proposed. ► The effects of key parameters on the system performance are examined. ► Multi-objective optimization is conducted to obtain optimum system performance

Controllable synthesis of Co3O4/polyethyleneimine-carbon nanotubes nanocomposites for CO and NH3 gas sensing at room temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Yufei; Kan, Kan; Song, Wanzhen; Zhang, Guo; Dang, Lifang; Xie, Yu; Shen, Peikang; Li, Li; Shi, Keying

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: Co 3 O 4 /polyethyleneimine-carbon nanotubes composites (CoPCNTs) have been successfully controllable synthesized via hydrothermal method at different temperature. The CoPCNTs sensors exhibited the highest response to CO and NH 3 gases with response time of 4 s and 4.3 s, low detection limit of 5 ppm and 1 ppm at room temperature, respectively. The enhanced gas sensing could be ascribed to the synergistic effect between the tiny size of Co 3 O 4 and good conductivity of carbon nanotubes functionalized by polyethyleneimine. - Highlights: • The CNTs functionalized by polyethyleneimine provided a new functional structural. • The novel 1D structure could capture and migrate electrons quickly. • The Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles liked a snake winding around CNTs. • The gas sensor could work at room temperatures, which suit to practical application. - Abstract: A novel 1D Co 3 O 4 /polyethyleneimine-carbon nanotubes composites (CoPCNTs) have been successfully synthesized via hydrothermal method at different temperature. The CNTs functionalized by polyethyleneimine (PCNTs) provided a new material with new structural and functional properties. The PCNTs was used as loading guider and electron transfer path. The Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) loaded on the PCNTs surface liked a snake winding around CNTs, and the size was about 5–10 nm. The gas sensing characteristics of the CoPCNTs sensors to carbon monoxide (CO) and ammonia (NH 3 ) were evaluated with different gas concentration. The CoPCNTs sensors grown at 160 °C exhibited the highest response to CO and NH 3 gases with response time of 4 s and 4.3 s at room temperature (RT), respectively. Hence, the approach developed in this work would be important for the low-cost and large-scale production of the CoPCNTs materials with highly promising applications in gas sensors

Numerical Study of Ammonia Leak and Dispersion in the International Space Station

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Chang H.

2012-01-01

Release of ammonia into the International Space Station (ISS) cabin atmosphere can occur if the water/ammonia barrier breach of the active thermal control system (ATCS) interface heat exchanger (IFHX) happens. After IFHX breach liquid ammonia is introduced into the water-filled internal thermal control system (ITCS) and then to the cabin environment through a ruptured gas trap. Once the liquid water/ammonia mixture exits ITCS, it instantly vaporizes and mixes with the U.S. Laboratory cabin air that results in rapid deterioration of the cabin conditions. The goal of the study is to assess ammonia propagation in the Station after IFHX breach to plan the operation procedure. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model for accurate prediction of airflow and ammonia transport within each of the modules in the ISS cabin was developed. CFD data on ammonia content in the cabin aisle way of the ISS and, in particular, in the Russian On- Orbit Segment during the period of 15 minutes after gas trap rupture are presented for four scenarios of rupture response. Localized effects of ammonia dispersion and risk mitigation are discussed.

Review of Options for Ammonia/Ammonium Management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nash, C. A. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2016-05-06

This report is a review of literature supporting practical ammonia/ammonium destruction processes. Melter research supporting Hanford Low Activity Waste (LAW) glass production has shown that significant amounts of ammonia will be in the melter offgas condensate. Further work with secondary waste forms indicates the potential need to remove the ammonia, perhaps by an oxidative process. This review finds likely practical chemical methods to oxidize ammonia in aqueous solution at moderate temperatures and atmospheric pressure, using easily obtained reagents. Leading candidates include nitrite oxidation to produce nitrogen gas, various peroxide oxidative processes, and air stripping. This work reviews many other processes and provides reasoning to not consider those processes further for this application.

Ammonia modifies enteric neuromuscular transmission through glial γ-aminobutyric acid signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Fried, David E; Watson, Ralph E; Robson, Simon C; Gulbransen, Brian D

2017-12-01

Impaired gut motility may contribute, at least in part, to the development of systemic hyperammonemia and systemic neurological disorders in inherited metabolic disorders, or in severe liver and renal disease. It is not known whether enteric neurotransmission regulates intestinal luminal and hence systemic ammonia levels by induced changes in motility. Here, we propose and test the hypothesis that ammonia acts through specific enteric circuits to influence gut motility. We tested our hypothesis by recording the effects of ammonia on neuromuscular transmission in tissue samples from mice, pigs, and humans and investigated specific mechanisms using novel mutant mice, selective drugs, cellular imaging, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Exogenous ammonia increased neurogenic contractions and decreased neurogenic relaxations in segments of mouse, pig, and human intestine. Enteric glial cells responded to ammonia with intracellular Ca 2+ responses. Inhibition of glutamine synthetase and the deletion of glial connexin-43 channels in hGFAP :: Cre ER T2+/- /connexin43 f/f mice potentiated the effects of ammonia on neuromuscular transmission. The effects of ammonia on neuromuscular transmission were blocked by GABA A receptor antagonists, and ammonia drove substantive GABA release as did the selective pharmacological activation of enteric glia in GFAP::hM3Dq transgenic mice. We propose a novel mechanism whereby local ammonia is operational through GABAergic glial signaling to influence enteric neuromuscular circuits that regulate intestinal motility. Therapeutic manipulation of these mechanisms may benefit a number of neurological, hepatic, and renal disorders manifesting hyperammonemia. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We propose that local circuits in the enteric nervous system sense and regulate intestinal ammonia. We show that ammonia modifies enteric neuromuscular transmission to increase motility in human, pig, and mouse intestine model systems. The mechanisms underlying the

Improvement of activated carbons as oxygen reduction catalysts in neutral solutions by ammonia gas treatment and their performance in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Watson, Valerie J.; Nieto Delgado, Cesar; Logan, Bruce E.

2013-01-01

Commercially available activated carbon (AC) powders from different precursor materials (peat, coconut shell, coal, and hardwood) were treated with ammonia gas at 700 C to improve their performance as oxygen reduction catalysts in neutral p

Long-term stability of superhydrophilic oxygen plasma-modified single-walled carbon nanotube network surfaces and the influence on ammonia gas detection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Min, Sungjoon [Department of Biomicrosystem Technology, Korea University, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Joonhyub [Department of Control and Instrumentation Engineering, Korea University, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong City 339-770 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Chanwon [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701 (Korea, Republic of); Jin, Joon-Hyung, E-mail: jj1023@chol.com [Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyonggi University, 154-42 Gwanggyosan-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16227 (Korea, Republic of); Min, Nam Ki, E-mail: nkmin@korea.ac.kr [Department of Biomicrosystem Technology, Korea University, Seoul 136-713 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-07-15

Graphical abstract: Superhydrophilic single-walled carbon nanotube obtained by O{sub 2} plasma treatment voluntarily and non-reversibly reverts to a metastable state. This aerobic aging is an essential process to develop a stable carbon nanotube-based sensor. - Highlights: • Superhydrophilic single-walled carbon nanotube network can be obtained by O{sub 2} plasma-based surface modification. • The modified carbon nanotube surface invariably reverts to a metastable state in a non-reversible manner. • Aerobic aging is essential to stabilize the modified carbon nanotube and the carbon nanotube-based sensing device due to minimized sensor-to-sensor variation. - Abstract: Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) networks are subjected to a low-powered oxygen plasma for the surface modification. Changes in the surface chemical composition and the stability of the plasma-treated SWCNT (p-SWCNT) with aging in air for up to five weeks are studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle analysis. The contact angle decreases from 120° of the untreated hydrophobic SWCNT to 0° for the superhydrophilic p-SWCNT. Similarly, the ratio of oxygen to carbon (O:C) based on the XPS spectra increases from 0.25 to 1.19, indicating an increase in surface energy of the p-SWCNT. The enhanced surface energy is gradually dissipated and the p-SWCNT network loses the superhydrophilic surface property. However, it never revert to the original hydrophobic surface state but to a metastable hydrophilic state. The aging effect on sensitivity of the p-SWCNT network-based ammonia sensor is investigated to show the importance of the aging process for the stabilization of the p-SWCNT. The best sensitivity for monitoring NH{sub 3} gas is observed with the as-prepared p-SWCNT, and the sensitivity decreases as similar as the p-SWCNT loses its hydrophilicity with time goes by. After a large performance degradation during the aging time for about two weeks, the response

Structural properties and gas sensing behavior of sol-gel grown nanostructured zinc oxide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rajyaguru, Bhargav; Gadani, Keval; Kansara, S. B.; Pandya, D. D.; Shah, N. A.; Solanki, P. S., E-mail: piyush.physics@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Saurashtra University, Rajkot – 360 005 (India); Rathod, K. N.; Solanki, Sapana [Department of Physics, Saurashtra University, Rajkot – 360 005 (India); V.V.P. Engineering College, Gujarat Technological University, Rajkot – 360 005 (India)

2016-05-06

In this communication, we report the results of the studies on structural properties and gas sensing behavior of nanostructured ZnO grown using acetone precursor based modified sol-gel technique. Final product of ZnO was sintered at different temperatures to vary the crystallite size while their structural properties have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement performed at room temperature. XRD results suggest the single phasic nature of all the samples and crystallite size increases from 11.53 to 20.96 nm with increase in sintering temperature. Gas sensing behavior has been studied for acetone gas which indicates that lower sintered samples are more capable to sense the acetone gas and related mechanism has been discussed in the light of crystallite size, crystal boundary density, defect mechanism and possible chemical reaction between gas traces and various oxygen species.

Gas sensing behaviour of cerium oxide and magnesium aluminate

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Gas sensing behaviour of cerium oxide and magnesium aluminate composites ... A lone pairof the electron state was identified from the electro paramagnetic ... carbon monoxide (CO) (at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 bar) and ethanol (at 50 and 100 ppm) was ... The magnitude of the temperature varied linearly regardless of the gas ...

A microfabricated electroosmotic pump coupled to a gas-diffusion microchip for flow injection analysis of ammonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Zaifang; Lu, Joann J.; Liu, Shaorong; Almeida, M. Inês G. S.; Kolev, Spas D.; Pu, Qiaosheng

2015-01-01

We have microfabricated two functional components toward developing a microchip flow injection analysis (FIA) system, i.e., an open-channel electroosmotic pump and a gas-diffusion chip, consisting of two microfabricated glass wafers and a porous polytetrafluoroethylene membrane. This is the first application of gas-diffusion separation in a microchip FIA system. To demonstrate the feasibility of using these two components for performing gas-diffusion FIA, we have incorporated them together with a regular FIA injection valve and a capillary electrophoresis absorbance detector in a flow injection system for determination of ammonia in environmental water samples. This system has a limit of detection of 0.10 mg L −1 NH 3 , with a good repeatability (relative standard deviation of less than 5 % for 4.0 mg L −1 NH 3 ). Parameters affecting its performance are also discussed. (author)

Miniaturized measurement system for ammonia in air

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Timmer, B.H.; van Delft, K.M.; Otjes, R.P.; Olthuis, Wouter; van den Berg, Albert

2004-01-01

The development of a miniaturized ammonia sensor made using microsystem technology is described. Gas is sampled in a sampler comprising two opposite channels separated by a gas permeable, water repellent polypropylene membrane. Subsequently, the acid sample solution is pumped into a selector where

Prediction of operating parameters range for ammonia removal unit in coke making by-products

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwari, Hari Prakash; Kumar, Rajesh; Bhattacharjee, Arunabh; Lingam, Ravi Kumar; Roy, Abhijit; Tiwary, Shambhu

2018-02-01

Coke oven gas treatment plants are well equipped with distributed control systems (DCS) and therefore recording the vast amount of operational data efficiently. Analyzing the stored information manually from historians is practically impossible. In this study, data mining technique was examined for lowering the ammonia concentration in clean coke oven gas. Results confirm that concentration of ammonia in clean coke oven gas depends on the average PCDC temperature; gas scrubber temperatures stripped liquor flow, stripped liquor concentration and stripped liquor temperature. The optimum operating ranges of the above dependent parameters using data mining technique for lowering the concentration of ammonia is described in this paper.

Conductometric sensor for ammonia and ethanol using gold nanoparticle-doped mesoporous TiO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong, Wei; Liu, Huanhuan; Liu, Shantang

2015-01-01

We describe uniform and high-temperature-stable mesoporous TiO 2 beads functionalized with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs-TiO 2 ) for use in conductometric sensing of gases and organic vapors. The size of the interconnected main mesopores of the TiO 2 beads ranges from 8 to 15 nm, and the AuNPs have diameters between 8 and 10 nm. The mesoporous TiO 2 beads are formed during calcination while the structure-directing template agent is removed. Monodispersed AuNPs are formed by reduction in-situ and are placed inside the mesoporous TiO 2 framework. This prevents aggregation of the AuNPs even at 500 °C. The materials were characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and X-ray diffraction. Comb-type gold electrodes were then fabricated on an alumina substrate and are shown to display excellent properties in terms of sensing ammonia, ethanol, methanol or acetone. The sensitivity (defined as the ratio of resistivities under vapor and air) of a typical AuNPs(0.5 %)-TiO 2 gas sensor for ethanol reached up to 5.65 at above 600 ppm at 75 °C. Response time and recovery times (t 90  ≤ 20 s) are faster than (or comparable to) other metal-doped TiO 2 sensors, and working temperatures are much lower. An interesting observation was made in that the changes in the conductivity of the sensor change with temperature. The sensor prepared with AuNPs(0.5 %)-TiO 2 is of the p-type (in its response to ammonia gas) at 45 °C, but becomes n-type at 20 °C. Obviously, rather slight changes in temperature lead to a complete change in the direction of the conductometric signal change. This may provide a new aspect in terms of selective and highly sensitive detection of ammonia at ambient and slightly elevated temperatures. (author)

Ammonia synthesis by means of plasma over MgO catalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugiyama, K.; Akazawa, K.; Matsuda, T.; Miura, H.; Oshima, M.

1986-01-01

Ammonia synthesis from H 2 -N 2 mixed gas was studied at room temperature in a glow-discharge plasma in the presence of metals or metal oxides. Magnesia (Mg0) and calcia (CaO), which are oxides with solid basicity, revealed catalytic activity in the plasma synthesis of ammonia, although they are catalytically inactive in industrial ammonia synthesis. The acid oxides (Al 2 0 3 W0 3 , and Si0 2 -Al 2 0 3 ) lead to the consumption of the reactant, i.e., the H2-N2 mixed gas. No ammonia was isolated. Metal catalysts showed higher activity than the above basic oxides. They have, however, different activities. The reaction was faster over the active materials than over sodium chloride (NaCl) or glass wool or in a blank reactor without any catalyst

Broadly tunable mid-infrared VECSEL for multiple components hydrocarbon gas sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Rey, J. M.; Fill, M.; Felder, F.; Sigrist, M. W.

2014-12-01

A new sensing platform to simultaneously identify and quantify volatile C1 to C4 alkanes in multi-component gas mixtures is presented. This setup is based on an optically pumped, broadly tunable mid-infrared vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) developed for gas detection. The lead-chalcogenide VECSEL is the key component of the presented optical sensor. The potential of the proposed sensing setup is illustrated by experimental absorption spectra obtained from various mixtures of volatile hydrocarbons and water vapor. The sensor has a sub-ppm limit of detection for each targeted alkane in a hydrocarbon gas mixture even in the presence of a high water vapor content.

Emergency membrane contactor based absorption system for ammonia leaks in water treatment plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Jiahui; Fang, Xuliang; He, Yiliang; Jin, Qiang

2008-01-01

Abstract Because of the suspected health risks of trihalomethanes (THMs), more and more water treatment plants have replaced traditional chlorine disinfection process with chloramines but often without the proper absorption system installed in the case of ammonia leaks in the storage room. A pilot plant membrane absorption system was developed and installed in a water treatment plant for this purpose. Experimentally determined contact angle, surface tension, and corrosion tests indicated that the sulfuric acid was the proper choice as the absorbent for leaking ammonia using polypropylene hollow fiber membrane contactor. Effects of several operating conditions on the mass transfer coefficient, ammonia absorption, and removal efficiency were examined, including the liquid concentration, liquid velocity, and feed gas concentration. Under the operation conditions investigated, the gas absorption efficiency over 99.9% was achieved. This indicated that the designed pilot plant membrane absorption system was effective to absorb the leaking ammonia in the model storage room. The removal rate of the ammonia in the model storage room was also experimentally and theoretically found to be primarily determined by the ammonia suction flow rate from the ammonia storage room to the membrane contactor. The ammonia removal rate of 99.9% was expected to be achieved within 1.3 h at the ammonia gas flow rate of 500 m3/h. The success of the pilot plant membrane absorption system developed in this study illustrated the potential of this technology for ammonia leaks in water treatment plant, also paved the way towards a larger scale application.

Recovery of ammonia from poultry litter using flat gas permeable membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Rothrock, M J; Szögi, A A; Vanotti, M B

2013-06-01

The use of flat gas-permeable membranes was investigated as components of a new process to capture and recover ammonia (NH3) in poultry houses. This process includes the passage of gaseous NH3 through a microporous hydrophobic membrane, capture with a circulating dilute acid on the other side of the membrane, and production of a concentrated ammonium (NH4) salt. Bench- and pilot-scale prototype systems using flat expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes and a sulfuric acid solution consistently reduced headspace NH3 concentrations from 70% to 97% and recovered 88% to 100% of the NH3 volatilized from poultry litter. The potential benefits of this technology include cleaner air inside poultry houses, reduced ventilation costs, and a concentrated liquid ammonium salt that can be used as a plant nutrient solution. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Enhancement of gas sensor response of nanocrystalline zinc oxide for ammonia by plasma treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou, Yue; Jayatissa, Ahalapitiya H.

2014-01-01

The effect of oxygen plasma treatment on nanocrystalline ZnO thin film based gas sensor was investigated. ZnO thin films were synthesized on alkali-free glass substrates by a sol–gel process. ZnO thin films were treated with oxygen plasma to change the number of vacancies/defects in ZnO. The effect of oxygen plasma on the structural, electrical, optical and gas sensing properties was investigated as a function of plasma treatment time. The results suggest that the microstructure and the surface morphology can be tuned by oxygen plasma treatment. The optical transmission in the visible range varies after the oxygen plasma treatment. Moreover, it is found that the oxygen plasma has significant impact on the electrical properties of ZnO thin films indicating a variation of resistivity. The oxygen plasma treated ZnO thin film exhibits an enhanced sensing response towards NH 3 in comparison with that of the as-deposited ZnO sensor. When compared with the as-deposited ZnO film, the sensing response was improved by 50% for the optimum oxygen plasma treatment time of 8 min. The selectivity of 8 min plasma treated ZnO sensor was also examined for an important industrial gas mixture of H 2 , CH 4 and NH 3 .

Abnormal gas sensing characteristics arising from catalyzed morphological changes of ionsorbed oxygen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue Xinyu; Chen Zhaohui; Ma Chunhua; Xing Lili; Chen Yujin; Wang Yanguo; Wang Taihong

2010-01-01

Abnormal gas sensing characteristics are observed at low temperature in uniformly loaded Pt-SnO 2 nanorod gas sensors. The sensors operated at 200 deg. C exhibit opposite variations of resistances, and the change of resistance decreases with increasing ethanol concentration. In contrast, the sensors operated at 300 deg. C show regular behavior and the sensitivity is extremely high. Such behaviors are ascribed to Pt-catalyzed morphological changes of ionsorbed oxygen at low temperature. The present results are the bases for further investigating the effect of ionsorbed oxygen morphologies on gas sensing.

Evaluation of the potential for significant ammonia releases from Hanford waste tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmer, B.J.; Anderson, C.M.; Chen, G.; Cuta, J.M.; Ferryman, T.A.; Terrones, G.

1996-07-01

Ammonia is ubiquitous as a component of the waste stored in the Hanford Site single-shell tanks (SSTs) and double-shell tanks (DSTs). Because ammonia is both flammable and toxic, concerns have been raised about the amount of ammonia stored in the tanks and the possible mechanisms by which it could be released from the waste into the head space inside the tanks as well as into the surrounding atmosphere. Ammonia is a safety issue for three reasons. As already mentioned, ammonia is a flammable gas and may contribute to a flammability hazard either directly, if it reaches a high enough concentration in the tank head space, or by contributing to the flammability of other flammable gases such as hydrogen (LANL 1994). Ammonia is also toxic and at relatively low concentrations presents a hazard to human health. The level at which ammonia is considered Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) is 300 ppm (WHC 1993, 1995). Ammonia concentrations at or above this level have been measured inside the head space in a number of SSTs. Finally, unlike hydrogen and nitrous oxide, ammonia is highly soluble in aqueous solutions, and large amounts of ammonia can be stored in the waste as dissolved gas. Because of its high solubility, ammonia behaves in a qualitatively different manner from hydrogen or other insoluble gases. A broader range of scenarios must be considered in modeling ammonia storage and release

Ammonia emissions in tunnel-ventilated broiler houses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

KAO Lima

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Gas production in broiler houses and their emissions are closely related to the microclimate established inside the house according to air temperature, humidity, and velocity. Therefore, the internal house environment is influenced by building typology and ventilation system. The objective of the present study was to evaluate ammonia emission rates in broiler houses equipped with different ventilation systems (negative or positive pressure and litter conditions (new or built-up. The environment of six commercial broiler houses was evaluated internal and external NH3 concentrations. Ventilation rates were recorded to estimate ammonia emission rates. The efficiency of circulation and exhaust fans was assessed, and higher ventilation rates were determined in negative-pressure houses due to the higher flow of the fans. Houses with new litter increased ammonia emission rates along the rearing period, indicating the relationship between gas emissions, bird age and ventilation rates, and presented a typical curve of NH3 emission increase. Negative-pressure houses with built-up litter presented higher emission rates during the first rearing week due to the high NH3 concentration during the brooding period, when the ventilation rates required to maintain chick thermal comfort are low. Although the results of the present study indicate an advantage of the positive-pressure systems as to gas emissions, further research is needed reduce gas emissions in broiler houses with negative-pressure systems.

Microstructure actuation and gas sensing by the Knudsen thermal force

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strongrich, Andrew; Alexeenko, Alina, E-mail: alexeenk@purdue.edu [School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States)

2015-11-09

The generation of forces and moments on structures immersed in rarefied non-isothermal gas flows has received limited practical implementation since first being discovered over a century ago. The formation of significant thermal stresses requires both large thermal gradients and characteristic dimensions which are comparable to the gas molecular mean free path. For macroscopic geometries, this necessitates impractically high temperatures and very low pressures. At the microscale, however, these conditions are easily achieved, allowing the effects to be exploited, namely, for gas-property sensing and microstructure actuation. In this letter, we introduce and experimentally evaluate performance of a microelectromechanical in-plane Knudsen radiometric actuator, a self-contained device having Knudsen thermal force generation, sensing, and tuning mechanisms integrated onto the same platform. Sensitivity to ambient pressure, temperature gradient, as well as gas composition is demonstrated. Results are presented in terms of a non-dimensional force coefficient, allowing measurements to be directly compared to the previous experimental and computational data on out-of-plane cantilevered configurations.

Characterization and gas sensing properties of CuO synthesized by DC directly applying voltage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klinbumrung, Arrak; Thongtem, Titipun; Thongtem, Somchai

2014-01-01

Highlights: • CuO as a p-type semiconductor. • It was synthesized by directly applying voltage. • A promising material for ammonia detection. - Abstract: CuO microstructure was successfully synthesized by 50 A and 3.6 V DC directly applying voltage. Crystalline structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), morphology by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM). The sample of the 15 min processing time has an irregular shape with diameter about several hundreds of nanometer. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) were used to determine vibrational modes and optical properties of the as-synthesized samples: 529 and 585 cm −1 vibrational modes, 3.95 eV band gap, and 402 nm emitting wavelength in violet region of CuO. X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopy was used to determine chemical composition, Cu(II)O, of the metal oxide surface. Gas sensing performance exposing to NH 3 mixed with air at various working temperatures and NH 3 concentrations of the as-synthesized CuO has the best response at the optimal working temperature of 250 °C: sensitivity of 56.6% exposed to 5275 ppm NH 3

Nutritive value of wheat straw treated with gaseous or liquid ammonia trough nylon bag and in vitro gas production techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samad Sadeghi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction Feed shortage is the most important characteristic of Iranian animal industry. Increased costs of livestock production have caused the Iranian producers to reduce feed costs mainly by inclusion low quality crop residues into ruminants diets. It is estimated that around 20 million tons wheat straw produced in Iran every year. Both the digestibility and crude protein content of wheat straw are typically low. Since 1900, a wide variety of chemical treatments have been tested for their potential to improve the feeding value of wheat straw. Upgrading of wheat straw by ammoniation has been known for a long time, but application of this method of wheat straw treatment has received the least attention in the area (Khorasan Province, Iran. Therefore, the object of the present study was to evaluate the effect of gaseous and liquid ammonia on nutritive value of wheat straw through in vitro techniques. Material and Methods One kg dry wheat straw was placed into the plastic cylinders with dimension of 1 m (diameter and 1.8 m (height and 0.8 mm (thickness. Gaseous and liquid commercial ammonia was injected or added to the wrapped straw at the rate of 2, 4 and 6 percent. The treatment time was 1 month at room temperature (20-25 ºC. At the end of treatment period the cylinders were opened and the ammoniated straw exposed to the air for 4 days. The treated straws were sampled for the subsequent analyses. Dry matter degradability of the samples was done by using nylon bags (10x20 cm with pore size of 40 micron. About 2 g ground samples (2 mm were placed into the nylon bags and incubated in rumen of 4 permanently fistulated steers for 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hrs. The experimental steers were fed by the ordinary diet containing 65% forage and 35% concentrate twice daily. The Menke and Steingass method was followed for the in vitro gas production method. Result and discussion Crude protein (CP content of the treated wheat straw samples

Gas Sensing Properties of Pure and Cr Activated WO3 Thick Film Resistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. B. GAIKWAD

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Thick films of WO3 (Tungsten Oxide were prepared by screen-printing techniques. The surfaces of the films were modified by dipping them into an aqueous solution of Chromium Oxide (CrO3 for different intervals of time, followed by firing at 550 oC for 30 min. The gas sensing performance of the pure and Cr2O3-modified films was tested for various gases at different temperatures. The unmodified films showed response to H2S, ethanol and cigar smoke. However Cr2O3- modified films suppresses gas sensing response to all gases except H2S. The surface modification, using dipping process, altered the adsorbate-adsorbent interactions, which gave the specific selectivity and enhanced sensitivity to H2S gas. The gas response, selectivity, thermal stability and recovery time of the sensor were measured and presented. The role played by surface chromium species to improve gas sensing performance is discussed.

Planar optical waveguide sensor of ammonia

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkisov, Sergey S.; Curley, Michael J.; Boykin, Courtney; Diggs, Darnell E.; Grote, James G.; Hopkins, Frank K.

2004-12-01

We describe a novel sensor of ammonia based on a planar optical waveguide made of a thin film of polymer polyimide doped with indicator dye bromocresol purple. The film of dye-doped polyimide demonstrated reversible increase of absorption with a peak near 600 nm in response to presence of ammonia in ambient air. Coupling of input and output optic fibers with the waveguide was done by means of coupling prisms or coupling grooves. The latter configuration has the advantage of low cost, less sensitivity to temperature variation, and the possibility of coupling from both sides of the waveguide. Special experimental setup was built to test the sensor. It included test gas chamber with sealed optic fiber feed-throughs, gas filling line, laser source, photodetector, and signal processing hardware and software. The sensor was capable of detecting 100 ppm of ammonia in air within 8 seconds. Further increase of sensitivity can be achieved by adding more dye dopant to the polymer, increase of the length of the waveguide, and suppression of noise. Overexposure of the sensor to more than 5000 ppm of ammonia led to the saturation of the polymer film and, as a result, significant decrease of sensitivity and increase of the response time. The sensor can be used as low cost component of a distributed optical network of chemical sensors for monitoring presence of hazardous industrial pollutants in air.

Performance test of deodorants for ammonia gas; Ammonia gas ni taisuru dasshuzai no seino kentei ni kansuru kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yano, H.; Hashimoto, S.; Yonemura, S. [Shimizu Corp., Tokyo (Japan); Shoda, M. [Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo (Japan)

1998-01-10

This paper presents the results of performance tests of various kinds of adsorbents by static and dynamic adsorption methods to select the optimum deodorant (adsorbent) for ammonia gas (NH3). In the performance test of the static adsorption method, the amounts of NH3 adsorbed by 21 kinds of adsorbents including physical and chemical adsorbents were measure. The amounts adsorbed physical adsorbent No. 6, chemical adsorbents Nos. 18, 19 and 20 which showed higher adsorption ability were 0.0160g/g, 0.0284g/g, 0.0250g/g, and 0.0249g/g respectively at 30degC under equilibrium pressure of 50 mmHg. All of the adsorbent showed in Freundlich`s adsorption isotherm for NH3. Although the correlation between specific area, pore volume, mean pore radius, pH each adsorbent and the amount of adsorbed were tried, the correlation between the pH and the amount of NH3 adsorbed was significant. This suggests that the pH is a proper criterion for selection for adsorbents. The performance test of the dynamic adsorption method, was conducted for adsorbents Nos. 6, 18, 19 and 20 above-mentioned. The 10% breakthrough time was compared as the performance index. The breakthrough time of the adsorbent which the amount adsorbed was large was long but the breakthrough time was not proportional to the amount adsorbed. These results suggest that the performance test only by the static adsorption method is insufficient and that the breakthrough time test by the dynamic adsorption method is essential. 13 refs., 10 figs., 4 tabs.

Recovery of ammonia from anaerobically digested manure using gas-permeable membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Nitrogen (N) can be recovered from different types of wastewaters. Among these wastewaters, anaerobically digested swine manure (digestate) is one with the highest N content in ammonia form. It is desirable to reduce the high ammonia content in swine manure because it reduces biogas production by in...

Graphene oxide for gas detection under standard humidity conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donarelli, Maurizio; Prezioso, Stefano; Perrozzi, Francesco; Ottaviano, Luca; Giancaterini, Luca; Cantalini, Carlo; Treossi, Emanuele; Palermo, Vincenzo; Santucci, Sandro

2015-01-01

Graphene oxide (GO) synthesis is the easiest way to functionalize graphene, preserving the high graphene surface to volume ratio. Therefore, GO is a promising candidate for gas sensing applications. In this paper, an easy-to-fabricate and high sensitivity GO-based gas sensor is proposed. The device is fabricated by drop-casting a solution of GO flakes dispersed in water on a prepatterned Si 3 N 4 substrate with 30 μm spaced Pt electrodes. The sensing material has been studied using scanning electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The large lateral dimensions of the flakes (tens of microns) allow single GO flake to bridge adjacent electrodes. The high quality of the synthesized flakes results in the gas sensor high sensitivity to and low detection limit (20 ppb) of NO 2 . The gas sensor response to NO 2 has been studied in various relative humidity environments and it is demonstrated not to be affected by the presence of water vapor. Finally, the gas sensor responses to acetone, toluene, ethanol, and ammonia are reported. (paper)

A selective and sensitive optical sensor for dissolved ammonia detection via agglomeration of fluorescent Ag nanoclusters and temperature gradient headspace single drop microextraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Jiang Xue; Gao, Zhong Feng; Zhang, Ying; Li, Bang Lin; Li, Nian Bing; Luo, Hong Qun

2017-05-15

In this paper, a simple sensor platform is presented for highly selective and sensitive detection of dissolved ammonia in aqueous solutions without pretreatment based on temperature gradient headspace single drop microextraction (HS-SDME) technique, and fluorescence and UV-vis spectrophotometry are utilized with the Ag nanoclusters (Ag NCs) functioned by citrate and glutathione as the probe. The sensing mechanism is based on the volatility of ammonia gas and the active response of Ag NCs to pH change caused by the introduction of ammonia. High pH can make the Ag NCs agglomerate and lead to the obvious decrease of fluorescence intensity and absorbance of Ag NCs solution. Moreover, the presented method exhibits a remarkably high selectivity toward dissolved ammonia over most of inorganic ions and amino acid, and shows a good linear range of 10-350μM (0.14-4.9mgNL -1 ) with a low detection limit of 336nM (4.70μgNL -1 ) at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. In addition, the practical applications of the sensor have been successfully demonstrated by detecting dissolved ammonia in real samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ammonia corrodes solar modules; Salmiakgeist greift Module an

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petzold, Katrin

2011-07-01

Ammonia is an aggressive gas produced in animal shelters, which may cause corrosion of solar modules. Various institutions, e.g. DLG and TUeV Rheinland, therefore offer an ammonia test for solar modules. The TUeV Rheinland recently commissioned a walk-in test chamber and now issues an official seal of approval, while the DLG doubts the practical value of the test.

Study on Characteristics of Co-firing Ammonia/Methane Fuels under Oxygen Enriched Combustion Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Hua; Wang, Zhaolin; Valera-Medina, Agustin; Bowen, Philip J.

2018-06-01

Having a background of utilising ammonia as an alternative fuel for power generation, exploring the feasibility of co-firing ammonia with methane is proposed to use ammonia to substitute conventional natural gas. However, improvement of the combustion of such fuels can be achieved using conditions that enable an increase of oxygenation, thus fomenting the combustion process of a slower reactive molecule as ammonia. Therefore, the present study looks at oxygen enriched combustion technologies, a proposed concept to improve the performance of ammonia/methane combustion. To investigate the characteristics of ammonia/methane combustion under oxygen enriched conditions, adiabatic burning velocity and burner stabilized laminar flame emissions were studied. Simulation results show that the oxygen enriched method can help to significantly enhance the propagation of ammonia/methane combustion without changing the emission level, which would be quite promising for the design of systems using this fuel for practical applications. Furthermore, to produce low computational-cost flame chemistry for detailed numerical analyses for future combustion studies, three reduced combustion mechanisms of the well-known Konnov's mechanism were compared in ammonia/methane flame simulations under practical gas turbine combustor conditions. Results show that the reduced reaction mechanisms can provide good results for further analyses of oxygen enriched combustion of ammonia/methane. The results obtained in this study also allow gas turbine designers and modellers to choose the most suitable mechanism for further combustion studies and development.

Optical Fiber Chemical Sensor with Sol-Gel Derived Refractive Material as Transducer for High Temperature Gas Sensing in Clean Coal Technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shiquan Tao

2006-12-31

fiber optic sensors uses sol-gel derived porous silica materials doped with nanometer particles of noble metals in the form of fiber or coating for sensing trace H{sub 2}, NH{sub 3} and HCl in gas samples at for applications ambient temperature. The third classes of fiber optic sensors use sol-gel derived semiconductor metal oxide coating on the surface of silica optical fiber as transducers for selectively sensing H{sub 2}, CH{sub 4} and CO at high temperature. In addition, optical fiber temperature sensors use the fluorescence signal of rare-earth metal ions doped porous silica optical fiber or the optical absorption signal of thermochromic metal oxide materials coated on the surface of silica optical fibers have also been developed for monitoring gas temperature of corrosive gas. Based on the results obtained from this project, the principle of fiber optic sensor techniques for monitoring matrix gas components as well as trace components of coal gasification derived syngas has been established. Prototype sensors for sensing trace ammonia and hydrogen sulfide in gasification derived syngas have been built up in our laboratory and have been tested using gas samples with matrix gas composition similar to that of gasification derived fuel gas. Test results illustrated the feasibility of these sensors for applications in IGCC processes.

Tungsten Oxide Photonic Crystals as Optical Transducer for Gas Sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Amrehn, Sabrina; Wu, Xia; Wagner, Thorsten

2018-01-26

Some metal oxide semiconductors, such as tungsten trioxide or tin dioxide, are well-known as resistive transducers for gas sensing and offer high sensitivities down to the part per billion level. Electrical signal read-out, however, limits the information obtained on the electronic properties of metal oxides to a certain frequency range and its application because of the required electrical contacts. Therefore, a novel approach for building an optical transducer for gas reactions utilizing metal oxide photonic crystals is presented here. By the rational design of the structure and composition it is possible to synthesize a functional material which allows one to obtain insight into its electronic properties in the optical frequency range with simple experimental measures. The concept is demonstrated by tungsten trioxide inverse opal structure as optical transducer material for hydrogen sensing. The sensing behavior is analyzed in a temperature range from room temperature to 500 °C and in a wide hydrogen concentration range (3000 ppm to 10%). The sensing mechanism is mainly the refractive index change resulting from hydrogen intercalation in tungsten trioxide, but the back reaction has also impact on the optical properties of this system. Detailed chemical reaction studies provide suggestions for specific sensing conditions.

A highly selective and wide range ammonia sensor—Nanostructured ZnO:Co thin film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mani, Ganesh Kumar; Rayappan, John Bosco Balaguru

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Cobalt doped nanostructured ZnO thin films were spray deposited on glass substrates. • Co-doped ZnO film was highly selective towards ammonia than ethanol, methanol, etc. • The range of ammonia detection was improved significantly by doping cobalt in ZnO. - Abstract: Ammonia sensing characteristics of undoped and cobalt (Co)-doped nanostructured ZnO thin films were investigated. Polycrystalline nature with hexagonal wurtzite structure and high crystalline quality with dominant (0 0 2) plane orientation of Co-doped ZnO film were confirmed by the X-ray diffractogram. Scanning electron micrographs of the undoped film demonstrated the uniform deposition of sphere-shaped grains. But, smaller particles with no clear grain boundaries were observed for Co-doped ZnO thin film. Band gap values were found to be 3.26 eV and 3.22 eV for undoped and Co-doped ZnO thin films. Ammonia sensing characteristics of Co-doped ZnO film at room temperature were investigated in the concentration range of 15–1000 ppm. Variation in the sensing performances of Co-doped and pure ZnO thin films has been analyzed and compared

Au@NiO core-shell nanoparticles as a p-type gas sensor: Novel synthesis, characterization, and their gas sensing properties with sensing mechanism

KAUST Repository

Majhi, Sanjit Manohar

2018-04-25

In this work, Au@NiO core-shell nanoparticles (C-S NPs) as a p-type gas sensing material was synthesized by a facile wet-chemical method, and evaluated their gas sensing properties as compared to the pristine NiO NPs gas sensors. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) results exhibited the well-dispersed formation of Au@NiO C-S NPs having the total size of 70–120 nm and NiO shells having 30–50 nm thickness. The C-S morphology as well as the overall particle sizes are unchanged even at 500 °C. The gas sensing result reveals that the response of Au@NiO C-S NPs gas sensor is higher than pristine NiO NPs gas sensor for 100 ppm of ethanol at 200 °C operating temperature. The baseline resistance in the air for Au@NiO C-S NPs sensor is lowered as compared to pristine NiO NPs, which is due to the increased number of holes as charge carriers in Au@NiO C-S NPs. The high response of Au@NiO core-shell NPs as compared to pristine NiO NPs is attributed to electronic and chemical sensitization effects of Au. In Au@NiO C-S structure, the contact between metal (Au) and semiconductor (NiO) formed a Schottky junction since Au metal acted as electron acceptor, a withdrawal of electrons from NiO by Au metal core leaved behind number of holes as charge carriers in Au@NiO C-S NPs. Therefore, the baseline resistance of Au@NiO C-S NPs greatly decreased than pristine NiO NPs, as a result the Au@NiO C-S NPs showed higher response. On the other hand, in chemical sensitization effect, Au NPs catalyzed to dissociate O2 molecules into ionic species. This work will give some clue to the researchers for the further development of p-type based C-S NPs sensors.

Exhaust gas sensors for NO{sub x} storage catalysts and ammonia SCR systems; Abgassensoren fuer NO{sub x}-Speicherkatalysatoren und Ammoniak-SCR-Systeme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moos, R. [Bayreuth Univ. (DE). Bayreuth Engine Research Center (BERC)

2008-07-01

Measuring of the air-to-fuel ratio and/or the exhaust gas oxygen content with the help of an exhaust gas sensor has been established thirty years ago. Whereas the original thimble type lambda probe, which is still shown today in textbooks, is a product of classical ceramic technology, newer sensors are manufactured in planar multilayer technology stemming from electronic technology. This is the basis for additional functionalities like NO{sub x} or ammonia sensitivities. Due to increasing requirements for OBD, the sensor of the future might be a multifunctional device which allows for measuring application specific components as well as lambda in a wide range. From a technical standpoint, it would even today be feasible to manufacture an integrated exhaust gas sensor that can measure ammonia, NO{sub x}, and lambda at the same time. Whether the direct catalyst status diagnosis will become ripe for serial application does not depends only on technical questions and cost considerations but also on the issue whether one is willing to establish a completely novel way of catalyst detection in the exhaust pipe. (orig.)

Power generation from a 7700C heat source by means of a main steam cycle, a topping closed gas cycle and a ammonia bottoming cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tilliette, Z.P.

1981-03-01

For power generation, steam cycles make an efficient use of medium temperature heat sources. They can be adapted to dry cooling, higher power ratings and output increase in winter by addition of an ammonia bottoming cycle. Active development is carried out in this field by 'Electricite de France'. As far as heat sources at higher temperatures are concerned, particularly related to coal-fired or nuclear power plants, a more efficient way of converting energy is at first to expand a hot working fluid through a gas turbine. It is shown in this paper that a satisfactory result, for heat sources of about 770 0 C, is obtained with a topping closed gas cycle of moderate power rating, rejecting its waste heat into the main steam cycle. Attention has to be paid to this gas cycle waste heat recovery and to the coupling of the gas and steam cycles. This concept drastically reduces the importance of new technology components. The use and the significance of an ammonia bottoming cycle in this case are investigated

The origin of mouth-exhaled ammonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, W; Metsälä, M; Vaittinen, O; Halonen, L

2014-09-01

It is known that the oral cavity is a production site for mouth-exhaled NH3. However, the mechanism of NH3 production in the oral cavity has been unclear. Since bacterial urease in the oral cavity has been found to produce ammonia from oral fluid urea, we hypothesize that oral fluid urea is the origin of mouth-exhaled NH3. Our results show that under certain conditions a strong correlation exists between oral fluid urea and oral fluid ammonia (NH4(+)+NH3) (rs = 0.77, p oral fluid NH3 and mouth-exhaled NH3 (rs = 0.81, p oral fluid pH. Bacterial urease catalyses the hydrolysis of oral fluid urea to ammonia (NH4(+)+NH3). Oral fluid ammonia (NH4(+)+NH3) and pH determine the concentration of oral fluid NH3, which evaporates from oral fluid into gas phase and turns to mouth-exhaled NH3.

A volatile-solvent gas fiber sensor based on polyaniline film coated on superstructure fiber Bragg gratings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ai, L; Chen, T C; Su, W K; Mau, J C; Liu, W F

2008-01-01

A fiber sensor based on a polyaniline (PANI) film that is coated on the surface of an etched superstructure fiber grating to detect volatile solvent vapors is experimentally demonstrated. This sensing mechanism is based on the interaction of the testing gas with the polyaniline coating film, which changes the film index, resulting in a shift in the Bragg wavelength. The sensitivity of this sensor to ammonia (NH 3 ) gas is about 0.073 pm ppm −1 , which depends on the optical characteristics of the fiber grating, the diameter of the fiber cladding and the constituents of the sensing film. Methanol concentrations can also be measured using this sensing scheme. The sensitivity of this sensor must be improved to provide a simple, reliable, repeatable and non-destructive method for sensing various chemical gases. (technical design note)

Electrical conduction and NO{sub 2} gas sensing properties of ZnO nanorods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Şahin, Yasin [Council of Forensic Medicine, Bahçelievler, 34196 Istanbul (Turkey); Öztürk, Sadullah, E-mail: sadullahozturk@gyte.edu.tr [Gebze Institute of Technology, Science Faculty, Department of Physics, 41400 Gebze, Kocaeli (Turkey); Kılınç, Necmettin [Gebze Institute of Technology, Science Faculty, Department of Physics, 41400 Gebze, Kocaeli (Turkey); Koc University, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Sariyer, 34450 Istanbul (Turkey); Kösemen, Arif [Gebze Institute of Technology, Science Faculty, Department of Physics, 41400 Gebze, Kocaeli (Turkey); Mus Alparslan University, Department of Physics, 49100 Mus (Turkey); Erkovan, Mustafa [SAKARYA University, Engineering Faculty, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Esentepe Campus, 54187 Sakarya (Turkey); Öztürk, Zafer Ziya [Gebze Institute of Technology, Science Faculty, Department of Physics, 41400 Gebze, Kocaeli (Turkey); TÜBİTAK-Marmara Research Center, Materials Institute, 41470 Gebze, Kocaeli (Turkey)

2014-06-01

Thermally stimulated current (TSC), photoresponse and gas sensing properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods were investigated depending on heating rates, illumination and dark aging times with using sandwich type electrode system. Vertically aligned ZnO nanorods were grown on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate by hydrothermal process. TSC measurements were performed at different heating rates under constant potential. Photoresponse and gas sensing properties were investigated in dry air ambient at 200 °C. For gas sensing measurements, ZnO nanorods were exposed to NO{sub 2} (100 ppb to 1 ppm) in dark and illuminated conditions and the resulting resistance transient was recorded. It was found from dark electrical measurements that the dependence of the dc conductivity on temperature followed Mott's variable range hopping (VRH) model. In addition, response time and recovery times of ZnO nanorods to NO{sub 2} gas decreased by exposing to white light.

Application of Notched Long-Period Fiber Grating Based Sensor for CO2 Gas Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Chao-Wei; Chiang, Chia-Chin

2016-01-01

An inductively coupled plasma etching process to fabricate notched long-period fiber gratings for CO2 gas sensing is proposed in this article. In the gas sensing test, the 15% mixed CO2 gas was used for characterization of CO2 adsorption by the amine-modified nanoporous silica foams of the notched long-period fiber grating sensor. The results shows the spectra were changed with the CO2 gas flow within 13 min. During the absorption process, the transmission of the resonant dip was decreased by 2.884 dB. Therefore, the proposed notched long-period fiber grating gas sensor shows good performance and is suitable as a gas sensor for monitoring the CO2 adsorption process.

Nanoparticle assembled microcapsules for application as pH and ammonia sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amali, Arlin Jose; Awwad, Nour H.; Rana, Rohit Kumar; Patra, Digambara

2011-01-01

Graphical abstract: HPTS encapsulated nanoparticle assembled microcapsule is exploited as dual excitations ratiometic pH sensor. This nanoparticle assembled microcapsule based fluorescence sensor can determine ammonia and offers a robust, simple and fast sensing material. Highlights: ► A novel HPTS encapsulated nanoparticle assembled microcapsule is developed. ► Its dual excitation facilitates a ratiometic pH sensor. ► It is successfully applied for the determination of ammonia. ► It provides a robust, simple and fast sensing material. - Abstract: The encapsulation of molecular probes in a suitable nanostructured matrix can be exploited to alter their optical properties and robustness for fabricating efficient chemical sensors. Despite high sensitivity, simplicity, selectivity and cost effectiveness, the photo-destruction and photo-bleaching are the serious concerns while utilizing molecular probes. Herein we demonstrate that hydroxy pyrene trisulfonate (HPTS), a pH sensitive molecular probe, when encapsulated in a microcapsule structure prepared via the assembly of silica nanoparticles mediated by poly-L-lysine and trisodium citrate, provides a robust sensing material for pH sensing under the physiological conditions. The temporal evolution under continuous irradiation indicates that the fluorophore inside the silica microcapsule is extraordinarily photostable. The fluorescence intensity alternation at dual excitation facilitates for a ratiometic sensing of the pH, however, the fluorescence lifetime is insensitive to hydrogen ion concentration. The sensing scheme is found to be robust, fast and simple for the measurement of pH in the range 5.8–8.0, and can be successfully applied for the determination of ammonia in the concentration range 0–1.2 mM, which is important for aquatic life and the environment.

Electrospray-printed nanostructured graphene oxide gas sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Anthony P.; Velásquez-García, Luis F.

2015-12-01

We report low-cost conductometric gas sensors that use an ultrathin film made of graphene oxide (GO) nanoflakes as transducing element. The devices were fabricated by lift-off metallization and near-room temperature, atmospheric pressure electrospray printing using a shadow mask. The sensors are sensitive to reactive gases at room temperature without requiring any post heat treatment, harsh chemical reduction, or doping with metal nanoparticles. The sensors’ response to humidity at atmospheric pressure tracks that of a commercial sensor, and is linear with changes in humidity in the 10%-60% relative humidity range while consuming recipes yielded nearly identical response characteristics, suggesting that intrinsic properties of the film control the sensing mechanism. The gas sensors successfully detected ammonia at concentrations down to 500 ppm (absolute partial pressure of ˜5 × 10-4 T) at ˜1 T pressure, room temperature conditions. The sensor technology can be used in a great variety of applications including air conditioning and sensing of reactive gas species in vacuum lines and abatement systems.

Determination of 4-Methylimidazole in Ammonia Caramel Using Gas Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martyna N. Wieczorek

2018-01-01

Full Text Available One of Maillard reaction products formed in the production of ammonia caramel is 4(5-methylimidazole (4-MeI classified as carcinogen. A method of 4-MeI determination based on ion-pair extraction and derivatisation with isobutyl chloroformate with subsequent gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis was proposed. Tandem mass spectrometry was applied to reduce the influence of matrix and increase the selectivity and sensitivity of the method. Triple quadrupole GC-MS system was used for this study. The collision energies were optimized for MRM mode. The detection (LOD and quantification limits (LOQ of the elaborated method were 17 and 37.8 μg kg−1, respectively, repeatability was <15% RSD for analyzed caramel samples, and the recovery for 4-MeI was 101%. Comparison of MS/MS with SIM detection on the same instrument proved almost 30 times lower LODs achieved by tandem mass spectrometry compared to SIM. Described method can be routinely used for monitoring 4-MeI as a quality and safety marker in the production of ammonia caramel.

Measuring atmospheric ammonia with remote sensing campaign: Part 1 - Characterisation of vertical ammonia concentration profile in the centre of The Netherlands

Science.gov (United States)

Dammers, E.; Schaap, M.; Haaima, M.; Palm, M.; Wichink Kruit, R. J.; Volten, H.; Hensen, A.; Swart, D.; Erisman, J. W.

2017-11-01

Ammonia (NH3) is difficult to monitor at atmospheric concentrations due its high solubility and reactivity and the strong spatial and temporal variations of its concentrations. Monitoring is mostly performed using passive samplers or filter packs with daily coverage at best. Only at a few sites ammonia is measured with more expensive wet chemical or spectroscopic measurement techniques. Instruments using an open path show the most potential as these avoid the use of inlets and thus the interactions of NH3 with tubing, filters, and inlets. Measurements on the vertical distribution of NH3 are even scarcer, with only a few available airborne and tower measurements. Satellite observations of NH3 show potential to be used for real-time monitoring as these have global coverage often with daily overpasses. Unfortunately, validation of satellite NH3 products representing the total atmospheric column with ground based instruments measuring in situ NH3 has been troublesome due to a lack of knowledge about the vertical distribution. Validation with FTIR instruments has shown potential but has been performed for only a limited number of stations. In this study we report on measurements performed during the Measuring atmospheric Ammonia with Remote Sensing (MARS) field campaign at Cabauw, the Netherlands. The aim of the campaign was to improve the general understanding of the vertical distribution of NH3. An approach was taken using four mini-DOAS instruments installed in the meteorological tower at Cabauw, supplemented by measurements with a MARGA and a mobile FTIR instrument. The measurements between May and October 2014 showed large variations in the concentrations and maximum concentrations reached up to 240 μg m-3. The lower three mini-DOAS and MARGA measurements showed large differences on an hourly basis, which were shown to originate from multiple measurement artefacts of the MARGA. The mini-DOAS concentrations varied sharply between the different levels with the lower

Gas sensing properties of indium–gallium–zinc–oxide gas sensors in different light intensity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuen-Lin Chen

2015-06-01

Full Text Available We have successfully observed the change in indium–gallium–zinc–oxide (IGZO gas sensor sensitivity by controlling the light emitting diode (LED power under the same gas concentrations. The light intensity dependence of sensor properties is discussed. Different LED intensities obviously affected the gas sensor sensitivity, which decays with increasing LED intensity. High LED intensity decreases not only gas sensor sensitivity but also the response time (T90, response time constant (τres and the absorption rate per second. Low intensity irradiated to sensor causes high sensitivity, but it needs larger response time. Similar results were also observed in other kinds of materials such as TiO2. According to the results, the sensing properties of gas sensors can be modulated by controlling the light intensity.

Effect of the sheet thickness of hierarchical SnO_2 on the gas sensing performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Wenlong; Zeng, Wen; BinMiao; Wang, Zhongchang

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A unique flower-like SnO_2 hierarchical architecture assembled with nanosheets were successfully synthesized. • The thickness of the unique hierarchical nanoflowers was precisely controlled. • The nanoflowers composed of thinner nanosheets show a significantly enhanced gas sensing properties. • A possible growth mechanism for the unique hierarchical SnO_2 nanoflower assembled with nanosheets of different thickness is proposed. - Abstract: A unique hierarchical SnO_2 nanoflower was successfully synthesized via a facile one-step hydrothermal method. The nanoflower was analyzed in detail using X ray diffraction, field-emission electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. It was found that the nanoflowers are all assembled from nanosheets. The nanosheet thickness could be precisely controlled by tuning the dosage of NaOH. Gas sensing tests demonstrated that the thickness of the sheet significantly affects the gas sensing performance. The improved gas sensing properties are attributed to the thinned petals as well as their pores and defects. These results show that the thickness and morphology of hierarchical nanostructures affect the functionality of gas sensors.

A pilot plant study for CO{sub 2} capture by aqueous ammonia applied to blast furnace gas in iron and steel making process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Young Kim, J.; Han, K.; Dong Chun, H. [CO2 Project, Research Inst. of Industrial Science and Technology, Pohang (Korea, Republic of)

2009-07-01

This presentation reported on a study in which carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) was captured from a demonstration iron and steel plant using low concentration aqueous ammonia as the absorbent chemical. The pilot plant was designed to process 50 Nm{sup 3}/h of blast furnace gas (BFG). The feed gas contained more than 20 per cent CO{sub 2} at 35 to 60 degrees C. Test runs revealed that the absorption efficiency of CO{sub 2} exceeded 80 per cent with a CO{sub 2} purity of more than 90 per cent in the product stream. The process parameters are currently being studied along with the various salts needed to prevent salt precipitation. It was determined that the use of waste heat recovery technology in the iron and steel-making process can render ammonia-based CO{sub 2} capture technology more economically feasible for the reduction of CO{sub 2}.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Gas Sensing Applications of WO3 Nanobricks

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Jingkun; Song, Chengwen; Dong, Wei; Li, Chen; Yin, Yanyan; Zhang, Xiaoni; Song, Mingyan

2015-08-01

WO3 nanobricks are fabricated by a simple hydrothermal method. Morphology and structure of the WO3 nanobricks are characterized by scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. Gas sensing properties of the as-prepared WO3 sensor are systematically investigated by a static gas sensing system. The results show that the WO3 nanobricks with defect corners demonstrate good crystallinity, and the mean edge length and wall thickness are 1-1.5 and 400 nm, respectively. The WO3 sensor achieves its maximum sensitivity to 100 ppm ethanol at the optimal operating temperature of 300 °C. Ultra-fast response time (2-3 s) and fast recovery time (4-11 s) of the WO3 sensor toward 100 ppm ethanol are also observed at this optimal operating temperature. Moreover, the WO3 sensor exhibits high selectivity to other gases such as methanol, benzene, hexane, and dichloromethane, indicating its excellent potential application as a gas sensor for ethanol detection.

Efficiency of deodorant materials for ammonia reduction in indoor air

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bivolarova, Mariya Petrova; Mizutani, Chiyomi; Melikov, Arsen Krikor

2014-01-01

A comparative study about the removability of ammonia gas in the air by activated carbon fiber (ACF) felt chemically treated with acid and a cotton fabric processed with iron phthalocyanine with copper (Cu) was performed in small-scale experiments. The test rig consisted of a heated plate and its...... proved activated carbon fiber felt with acid to be highly efficient in removing ammonia gas. Air temperature did not have profound effect on ACF performance. However, efficiency of the carbon fiber felt decreased when relative humidity was raised from 20 to 80%....

Planar Microstrip Ring Resonators for Microwave-Based Gas Sensing: Design Aspects and Initial Transducers for Humidity and Ammonia Sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Bogner, Andreas; Steiner, Carsten; Walter, Stefanie; Kita, Jaroslaw; Hagen, Gunter; Moos, Ralf

2017-10-24

A planar microstrip ring resonator structure on alumina was developed using the commercial FEM software COMSOL. Design parameters were evaluated, eventually leading to an optimized design of a miniaturized microwave gas sensor. The sensor was covered with a zeolite film. The device was successfully operated at around 8.5 GHz at room temperature as a humidity sensor. In the next step, an additional planar heater will be included on the reverse side of the resonator structure to allow for testing of gas-sensitive materials under sensor conditions.

Synthesis, formation mechanism and sensing properties of WO3 hydrate nanowire netted-spheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Aihua; Xie, Changsheng; Zeng, Dawen; Cai, Shuizhou; Hu, Mulin

2010-01-01

Tungsten oxide hydrate nanowire netted-spheres were successfully synthesized in the glycol solution using a facile solvothermal approach. The nanowires with uniform diameter of 4-6 nm are actually a kind of tungsten oxide hydrate/surfactant hybrid materials. The influence of surfactant, solvent, time and temperature on tailoring morphology was investigated in detail. The possible formation process of WO 3 hydrate nanowire netted-sphere was proposed. Sensing properties of such WO 3 hydrate sensor show that the desirable sensing characteristics towards 100 ppm ammonia gas at 320 o C were obtained, such as rapid response (18.3 s), high sensitivity, good reproducibility and stability.

Mobility Spectrometer Studies on Hydrazine and Ammonia Detection

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, William; Eiceman, Gary; Szumlas, Andrew; Lewis, John

2011-01-01

An airborne vapor analyzer for detecting sub- to low- parts-per-million (ppm) hydrazine in the presence of higher concentration levels of ammonia has been under development for the Orion program. The detector is based on ambient pressure ionization and ion mobility characterization. The detector encompasses: 1) a membrane inlet to exclude particulate and aerosols from the analyzer inlet; 2) a method to separate hydrazine from ammonia which would otherwise lead to loss of calibration and quantitative accuracy for the hydrazine determination; and 3) response and quantitative determinations for both hydrazine and ammonia. Laboratory studies were made to explore some of these features including mobility measurements mindful of power, size, and weight issues. The study recommended the use of a mobility spectrometer of traditional design with a reagent gas and equipped with an inlet transfer line of bonded phase fused silica tube. The inlet transfer line provided gas phase separation of neutrals of ammonia from hydrazine at 50 C simplifying significantly the ionization chemistry that underlies response in a mobility spectrometer. Performance of the analyzer was acceptable between ranges of 30 to 80 C for both the pre-fractionation column and the drift tube. An inlet comprised of a combined membrane with valve-less injector allowed high speed quantitative determination of ammonia and hydrazine without cross reactivity from common metabolites such as alcohols, esters, and aldehydes. Preliminary test results and some of the design features are discussed.

Validation of ammonia diffusive and active samplers in a controlled atmosphere test facility using traceable Primary Standard Gas Mixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Nicholas A.; Ferracci, Valerio; Cassidy, Nathan; Hook, Josh; Battersby, Ross M.; Tang, Yuk S.; Stevens, Amy C. M.; Jones, Matthew R.; Braban, Christine F.; Gates, Linda; Hangartner, Markus; Stoll, Jean-Marc; Sacco, Paolo; Pagani, Diego; Hoffnagle, John A.

2017-04-01

Intensive animal farming, the increased use of fertilizers, and certain industrial processes are believed to be responsible for the observed increases in the amount fraction of ammonia (NH3) found in Europe. NH3 contributes to eutrophication and acidification of land and freshwater, potentially leading to a loss of biodiversity and undesirable changes to the ecosystem. It also contributes to the formation of secondary particulate matter (PM) formation, which is associated with poor air quality and adverse health outcomes. Measurements of ambient ammonia are principally carried out with low-cost diffusive samplers or by active sampling with denuders, with each method delivering time-integrated values over the monitoring period. However, such techniques have not yet been extensively validated. The goal of this work was to provide improvements in the metrological traceability through the determination of NH3 diffusive sampling rates. Five different designs of commercial diffusive samplers (FSM Radiello radial sampler, Gradko diffusion tube, Gradko DIFRAM-400, Passam ammonia sampler, and CEH ALPHA sampler) were employed, together with a pumped denuder sampler (CEH DELTA denuder) for comparison. All devices were simultaneously exposed for either 28 days or 14 days (dependent on sampler type) in a controlled atmosphere test facility (CATFAC) containing traceable amount fractions of humidified ammonia using new stable ammonia Primary Standard Gas Mixtures developed by gravimetry at NPL, under a wide range of conditions that are relevant to ambient monitoring. Online continuous monitoring of the ammonia test atmospheres was carried out by extractive sampling, employing a calibrated cavity ring-down spectrometer, which had been modified to account for cross interference by water vapour. Each manufacturer extracted the captured ammonia on the exposed samplers in the form of ammonium (NH4+) using their own accredited traceable wet chemical techniques, and then reported data

Characterization and gas sensing properties of CuO synthesized by DC directly applying voltage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klinbumrung, Arrak [Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thongtem, Titipun [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Materials Science Research Center, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Thongtem, Somchai, E-mail: schthongtem@yahoo.com [Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Materials Science Research Center, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand)

2014-09-15

Highlights: • CuO as a p-type semiconductor. • It was synthesized by directly applying voltage. • A promising material for ammonia detection. - Abstract: CuO microstructure was successfully synthesized by 50 A and 3.6 V DC directly applying voltage. Crystalline structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), morphology by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM). The sample of the 15 min processing time has an irregular shape with diameter about several hundreds of nanometer. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) were used to determine vibrational modes and optical properties of the as-synthesized samples: 529 and 585 cm{sup −1} vibrational modes, 3.95 eV band gap, and 402 nm emitting wavelength in violet region of CuO. X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopy was used to determine chemical composition, Cu(II)O, of the metal oxide surface. Gas sensing performance exposing to NH{sub 3} mixed with air at various working temperatures and NH{sub 3} concentrations of the as-synthesized CuO has the best response at the optimal working temperature of 250 °C: sensitivity of 56.6% exposed to 5275 ppm NH{sub 3}.

Integrated Wavelength-Tunable Light Source for Optical Gas Sensing Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Li

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A compact instrument consisting of a distributed feedback laser (DFB at 1.65 μm was developed as a light source for gas sensing systems using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS technique. The wavelength of laser is tuned by adjusting the laser working temperature and injection current, which are performed by self-developed temperature controller and current modulator respectively. Stability test shows the fluctuation of the laser temperature is within the range of ±0.02°C. For gas detection experiments, the wavelength is tuned around the gas absorption line by adjusting laser temperature and is then shifted periodically to scan across the absorption line by the laser current modulator, which generates a 10 Hz saw wave signal. In addition, the current modulator is able to generate sine wave signal for gas sensing systems using wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS technique involving extraction of harmonic signals. The spectrum test proves good stability that the spectrum was measured 6 times every 10 minutes at the constant temperature and current condition. This standalone instrument can be applied as a light source for detection systems of different gases by integrating lasers at corresponding wavelength.

Fabrication and gas sensing properties of vertically aligned Si nanowires

Science.gov (United States)

Mirzaei, Ali; Kang, Sung Yong; Choi, Sun-Woo; Kwon, Yong Jung; Choi, Myung Sik; Bang, Jae Hoon; Kim, Sang Sub; Kim, Hyoun Woo

2018-01-01

In this study, a peculiar configuration for a gas sensor consisting of vertically aligned silicon nanowires (VA-Si NWs) synthesized by metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) is reported. Si NWs were prepared via a facile MACE method and subsequent thermal annealing. Etching was performed by generation of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and subsequent etching in HF/H2O2 aqueous solution; the growth conditions were optimized by changing the process parameters. Highly vertically oriented arrays of Si NWs with a straight-line morphology were obtained, and a top-top electrode configuration was applied. The VA-Si NW gas sensor showed good sensing performance, and the VA-Si NWs exhibited a remarkable response (Rg/Ra = 11.5 ∼ 17.1) to H2 gas (10-50 ppm) at 100 °C which was the optimal working temperature. The formation mechanism and gas sensing mechanism of VA-Si NWs are described. The obtained results can suggest new approaches to making inexpensive, versatile, and portable sensors based on Si NWs having a novel top-top electrode structure that are fully compatible with well-developed Si technologies.

Evaluation of aluminum sulfate (alum) as a feedlot surface amendment to reduce ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and greenhouse gas emissions from beef feedlots

Science.gov (United States)

Ammonia (NH3) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from concentrated feeding operations are a concern. The poultry industry has successfully used aluminum sulfate (Alum) as a litter amendment to reduce NH3 emissions from poultry barns. Alum has not been eval­uated for similar uses on cattle feedlot su...

Observations of atmospheric ammonia from TANSO-FTS/GOSAT

Science.gov (United States)

Someya, Yu; Imasu, Ryoichi; Saitoh, Naoko; Shiomi, Kei

2017-04-01

Atmospheric ammonia has large impacts on the nitrogen cycles or atmospheric environment such as nucleation of PM2.5 particles. It is reported that ammonia in the atmosphere has been increasing rapidly with the growth of population globally and this trend must continue in the future. Satellite observation is an effective approach to get to know the global perspectives of the gas. Atmospheric ammonia is observable using the thermal infrared (TIR) spectra, and IASI, TES and CrIS had been revealed those distributions. GOSAT also has TIR band including the ammonia absorption bands. GOSAT has the shorter revisit cycle than that of the other hyper-spectral TIR sounders mentioned above, therefore, the shorter time-scale events can be represented. In addition to the importance of the impacts of ammonia itself, the concentration ratio between ammonia and the other trace gases such as CO which is one of the main targets of the GOSAT-2 project is useful as the indicator of their emission sources. In this study, we introduce an algorithm to retrieve the column amount of atmospheric ammonia based on non-linear optimal estimation (Rogers, 2000) from GOSAT spectra in the ammonia absorption band between 960 - 970 cm-1. Temperature and water vapor profiles are estimated in advance of the ammonia retrieval. The preliminary results showed significant high concentrations of ammonia in the Northern India and the Eastern China as pointed out in the previous researches. We will discuss the global distribution of ammonia in the presentation.

Ammonia sensing properties of V-doped ZnO:Ca nanopowders prepared by sol–gel synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fazio, E.; Hjiri, M.; Dhahri, R.; El Mir, L.; Sabatino, G.; Barreca, F.; Neri, F.; Leonardi, S.G.; Pistone, A.; Neri, G.

2015-01-01

V-doped ZnO:Ca nanopowders with different V loading were prepared by sol–gel synthesis and successive drying in ethanol under supercritical conditions. Characterization data of nanopowders annealed at 700 °C in air, revealed that they have the wurtzite structure. Raman features of V-doped ZnO:Ca samples were found to be substantially modified with respect to pure ZnO or binary ZnO:Ca samples, which indicate the substitution of vanadium ions in the ZnO lattice. The ammonia sensing properties of V-doped ZnO:Ca thick films were also investigated. The results obtained demonstrate the possibility of a fine tuning of the sensing characteristics of ZnO-based sensors by Ca and V doping. In particular, their combined effect has brought to an enhanced response towards NH 3 compared to bare ZnO and binary V-ZnO and Ca-ZnO samples. Raman investigation suggested that the presence of Ca play a key role in enhancing the sensor response in these ternary composite nanomaterials. - Graphical abstract: V-doped ZnO:Ca nanopowders prepared by sol–gel synthesis possess enhanced sensing characteristics towards NH 3 compared to bare ZnO. - Highlights: • V-doped ZnO:Ca nanopowders with different V loading were prepared by sol–gel synthesis. • Raman features of V-doped ZnO:Ca samples indicate the substitution of V ions in the ZnO lattice. • Combined effects of dopants have brought to an enhanced response to NH 3 compared to ZnO. • Ca play a key role in enhancing the sensor response of ternary V-doped ZnO:Ca composites

A highly flexible polymerization technique to prepare fluorescent nanospheres for trace ammonia detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waich, K.; Sandholzer, M.; Mayr, T.; Slugovc, C.; Klimant, I.

2010-01-01

The preparation of pH-sensitive nanospheres by emulsion polymerization for the detection of trace levels of ammonia is described. A fluorescent, polymerizable xanthene dye was copolymerized with styrene, crosslinkers and further copolymers aimed at enhancing the sensitivity to obtain materials for sensing of ammonia. A half-seeded technique was used to obtain stable emulsions of the monomers which were cured to obtain nanospheres with covalently attached active components. The nanospheres were embedded in a silicon matrix and the sensor films obtained were investigated regarding their response to ammonia at concentrations between 25 and 1,000 ppb. Sensors containing polystyrene nanospheres crosslinked with divinylbenzene showed the best performance in ammonia measurements exhibiting detection limits (LODs) of less than 25 ppb ammonia.

On-board ammonia generation and exhaust after treatment system using same

Science.gov (United States)

Driscoll, Josh; Robel, Wade J.; Brown, Cory A.; Urven, Jr., Roger L.

2010-03-30

Often NOx selective catalysts that use ammonia to reduce NOx within exhaust to a harmless gas require on-board storage of ammonia which can be hazardous and inconvenient. In order to generate ammonia in exhaust, the present disclosure increases a NOx concentration in exhaust from at least one combustion chamber, at least in part, by injecting fuel in a predetermined increased NOx generation sequence that includes a first injection during non-auto ignition conditions and a second injection during auto ignition conditions. At least a portion of the NOx is converted to ammonia by passing at least a portion of the exhaust with the increased NOx concentration over an ammonia-producing catalyst.

Hydrogen Gas Sensing Characteristics of Nanostructured NiO Thin Films Synthesized by SILAR Method

Science.gov (United States)

Karaduman, Irmak; Çorlu, Tugba; Yıldırım, M. Ali; Ateş, Aytunç; Acar, Selim

2017-07-01

Nanostructured NiO thin films have been synthesized by a facile, low-cost successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method, and the effects of the film thickness on their hydrogen gas sensing properties investigated. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and energy-dispersive x-ray analysis. The XRD results revealed that the crystallinity improved with increasing thickness, exhibiting polycrystalline structure. SEM studies showed that all the films covered the glass substrate well. According to optical absorption measurements, the optical bandgap decreased with increasing film thickness. The gas sensing properties of the nanostructured NiO thin films were studied as a function of operating temperature and gas concentration. The samples showed good sensing performance of H2 gas with high response. The maximum response was 75% at operating temperature of 200°C for hydrogen gas concentration of 40 ppm. These results demonstrate that nanostructured NiO thin films synthesized by the SILAR method have potential for application in hydrogen detection.

Electrolytic synthesis of ammonia in molten salts under atmospheric pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Murakami, Tsuyoshi; Nishikiori, Tokujiro; Nohira, Toshiyuki; Ito, Yasuhiko

2003-01-15

Ammonia was successfully synthesized by using a new electrochemical reaction with high current efficiency at atmospheric pressure and at lower temperatures than the Haber-Bosch process. In this method, nitride ion (N3-), which is produced by the reduction from nitrogen gas at the cathode, is anodically oxidized and reacts with hydrogen to produce ammonia at the anode.

Oxidative destruction of ammonia for restoration of uranium solution mining sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Humenick, M.J.; Garwacka, K.

1984-01-01

A laboratory experimental research project was conducted to evaluate the use of chlorine for the oxidative destruction of residual ammonia that may remain in ground water after in-situ uranium solution mining operations. The work tested the idea of injecting high strength calcium hypochlorite solution into the mining zone to convert ammonia to nitrogen gas as a final cleanup process for ammonia removal from the ground water system. This paper details ammonia removal efficiency as a function of chlorine dose, reactant, and product material balances, and how the concept may be used as a final ground water restoration process

Oxidative destruction of ammonia for restoration of uranium solution mining sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Humenick, M.J.; Garwacka, K.

1984-02-01

A laboratory experimental research project was conducted to evaluate the use of chlorine for the oxidative destruction of residual ammonia that may remain in ground water after in-situ uranium solution mining operations. The work tested the idea of injecting high strength calcium hypochlorite solution into the mining zone to convert ammonia to nitrogen gas as a final cleanup process for ammonia removal from the ground water system. This paper details ammonia removal efficiency as a function of chlorine dose, reactant, and product material balances, and how the concept may be used as a final ground water restoration process.

Oxidative destruction of ammonia for restoration of uranium solution mining sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Humenick, M.J.; Garwacka, K.

1984-01-01

A laboratory experimental research project was conducted to evaluate the use of chlorine for the oxidative destruction of residual ammonia that may remain in ground water after in-situ uranium solution mining operations. The work tested the idea of injecting high strength calcium hypochlorite solution into the mining zone to convert ammonia to nitrogen gas as a final cleanup process for ammonia removal from the ground water system. This paper details ammonia removal efficiency as a function of chlorine dose, reactant, and product material balances, and how the concept may be used as a final ground water restoration process.

Enhanced transduction of photonic crystal dye lasers for gas sensing via swelling polymer film

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smith, Cameron; Lind, Johan Ulrik; Christiansen, Mads Brøkner

2011-01-01

We present the enhanced transduction of a photonic crystal dye laser for gas sensing via deposition of an additional swelling polymer film. Device operation involves swelling of the polymer film during exposure to specific gases, leading to a change in total effective refractive index. Experimental...... in its application to other intracavity-based detection schemes to enable gas sensing. © 2011 Optical Society of America....

TRIM56-mediated monoubiquitination of cGAS for cytosolic DNA sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Gil Ju; Kim, Charlotte; Shin, Woo-Jin; Sklan, Ella H; Eoh, Hyungjin; Jung, Jae U

2018-02-09

Intracellular nucleic acid sensors often undergo sophisticated modifications that are critical for the regulation of antimicrobial responses. Upon recognition of DNA, the cytosolic sensor cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) synthase (cGAS) produces the second messenger cGAMP, which subsequently initiates downstream signaling to induce interferon-αβ (IFNαβ) production. Here we report that TRIM56 E3 ligase-induced monoubiquitination of cGAS is important for cytosolic DNA sensing and IFNαβ production to induce anti-DNA viral immunity. TRIM56 induces the Lys335 monoubiquitination of cGAS, resulting in a marked increase of its dimerization, DNA-binding activity, and cGAMP production. Consequently, TRIM56-deficient cells are defective in cGAS-mediated IFNαβ production upon herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) infection. Furthermore, TRIM56-deficient mice show impaired IFNαβ production and high susceptibility to lethal HSV-1 infection but not to influenza A virus infection. This adds TRIM56 as a crucial component of the cytosolic DNA sensing pathway that induces anti-DNA viral innate immunity.

A Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Network Gas Sensing Device

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I-Ju Teng

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The goal of this research was to develop a chemical gas sensing device based on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT networks. The SWCNT networks are synthesized on Al2O3-deposted SiO2/Si substrates with 10 nm-thick Fe as the catalyst precursor layer using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD. The development of interconnected SWCNT networks can be exploited to recognize the identities of different chemical gases by the strength of their particular surface adsorptive and desorptive responses to various types of chemical vapors. The physical responses on the surface of the SWCNT networks cause superficial changes in the electric charge that can be converted into electronic signals for identification. In this study, we tested NO2 and NH3 vapors at ppm levels at room temperature with our self-made gas sensing device, which was able to obtain responses to sensitivity changes with a concentration of 10 ppm for NO2 and 24 ppm for NH3.

Au sensitized ZnO nanorods for enhanced liquefied petroleum gas sensing properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakate, U.T.; Bulakhe, R.N.; Lokhande, C.D.; Kale, S.N.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We studied ZnO nanorods film for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing. • The Au sensitization on ZnO nanorods gives improved LPG sensing response. • The Au–ZnO shows 48% LPG response for 1040 ppm with fast response time of 50 S. • We proposed schematic for sensing mechanism using band diagram. - Abstract: The zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods have grown on glass substrate by spray pyrolysis deposition (SPD) method using zinc acetate solution. The phase formation, surface morphology and elemental composition of ZnO films have been investigated using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques. The liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing response was remarkably improved by sensitization of gold (Au) surface noble metal on ZnO nanorods film. Maximum LPG response of 21% was observed for 1040 ppm of LPG, for pure ZnO nanorods sample. After Au sensitization on ZnO nanorods film sample, the LPG response greatly improved up to 48% at operating temperature 623 K. The improved LPG response is attributed Au sensitization with spill-over mechanism. Proposed model for LPG sensing mechanism discussed.

Au sensitized ZnO nanorods for enhanced liquefied petroleum gas sensing properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakate, U.T., E-mail: umesh.nakate@gmail.com [Department of Applied Physics, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Deemed University, Pune 411025 (India); Bulakhe, R.N.; Lokhande, C.D. [Department of Physics, Thin films Physics Laboratory, Shivaji University Kolhapur 416004 (India); Kale, S.N. [Department of Applied Physics, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Deemed University, Pune 411025 (India)

2016-05-15

Highlights: • We studied ZnO nanorods film for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing. • The Au sensitization on ZnO nanorods gives improved LPG sensing response. • The Au–ZnO shows 48% LPG response for 1040 ppm with fast response time of 50 S. • We proposed schematic for sensing mechanism using band diagram. - Abstract: The zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods have grown on glass substrate by spray pyrolysis deposition (SPD) method using zinc acetate solution. The phase formation, surface morphology and elemental composition of ZnO films have been investigated using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques. The liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sensing response was remarkably improved by sensitization of gold (Au) surface noble metal on ZnO nanorods film. Maximum LPG response of 21% was observed for 1040 ppm of LPG, for pure ZnO nanorods sample. After Au sensitization on ZnO nanorods film sample, the LPG response greatly improved up to 48% at operating temperature 623 K. The improved LPG response is attributed Au sensitization with spill-over mechanism. Proposed model for LPG sensing mechanism discussed.

Power cycles with ammonia-water mixtures as working fluid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thorin, Eva

2000-05-01

It is of great interest to improve the efficiency of power generating processes, i.e. to convert more of the energy in the heat source to power. This is favorable from an environmental point of view and can also be an economic advantage. To use an ammonia-water mixture instead of water as working fluid is a possible way to improve the efficiency of steam turbine processes. This thesis includes studies of power cycles with ammonia-water mixtures as working fluid utilizing different kinds of heat sources for power and heat generation. The thermophysical properties of the mixture are also studied. They play an important role in the calculations of the process performance and for the design of its components, such as heat exchangers. The studies concern thermodynamic simulations of processes in applications suitable for Swedish conditions. Available correlations for the thermophysical properties are compared and their influence on simulations and heat exchanger area predictions is investigated. Measurements of ammonia-water mixture viscosities using a vibrating wire viscometer are also described. The studies performed show that power cycles with ammonia-water mixtures as the working fluid are well suited for utilization of waste heat from industry and from gas engines. The ammonia-water power cycles can give up to 32 % more power in the industrial waste heat application and up to 54 % more power in the gas engine bottoming cycle application compared to a conventional Rankine steam cycle. However, ammonia-water power cycles in small direct-fired biomass-fueled cogeneration plants do not show better performance than a conventional Rankine steam cycle. When different correlations for the thermodynamic properties are used in simulations of a simple ammonia-water power cycle the difference in efficiency is not larger than 4 %, corresponding to about 1.3 percentage points. The differences in saturation properties between the correlations are, however, considerable at high

Effects of different nitrogen forms, ammonia gas and wet deposited ammonium and nitrate, on methane and nitrous oxide emissions from an ombrotrophic bog, Whim Moss, in the Scottish Borders

OpenAIRE

Sheppard, L. J.; Leith, I. D.; Field, C.; van Dijk, N.; Rung, M.; Skiba, U.

2008-01-01

Enhanced reactive nitrogen deposition may compromise the sustainability and functioning of bogs, with respect to carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas production. Since 2002, three N forms have been applied to an ombrotrophic bog growing Calluna, Sphagnum capillifolium and Eriophorum vaginatum in order to test this. Significant changes in species cover and soil chemistry, especially in response to elevated ammonia concentrations, have been recorded. Ammonia deposition has also increased nit...

cGAS senses long and HMGB/TFAM-bound U-turn DNA by forming protein-DNA ladders.

Science.gov (United States)

Andreeva, Liudmila; Hiller, Björn; Kostrewa, Dirk; Lässig, Charlotte; de Oliveira Mann, Carina C; Jan Drexler, David; Maiser, Andreas; Gaidt, Moritz; Leonhardt, Heinrich; Hornung, Veit; Hopfner, Karl-Peter

2017-09-21

Cytosolic DNA arising from intracellular pathogens triggers a powerful innate immune response. It is sensed by cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), which elicits the production of type I interferons by generating the second messenger 2'3'-cyclic-GMP-AMP (cGAMP). Endogenous nuclear or mitochondrial DNA can also be sensed by cGAS under certain conditions, resulting in sterile inflammation. The cGAS dimer binds two DNA ligands shorter than 20 base pairs side-by-side, but 20-base-pair DNA fails to activate cGAS in vivo and is a poor activator in vitro. Here we show that cGAS is activated in a strongly DNA length-dependent manner both in vitro and in human cells. We also show that cGAS dimers form ladder-like networks with DNA, leading to cooperative sensing of DNA length: assembly of the pioneering cGAS dimer between two DNA molecules is ineffective; but, once formed, it prearranges the flanking DNA to promote binding of subsequent cGAS dimers. Remarkably, bacterial and mitochondrial nucleoid proteins HU and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), as well as high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1), can strongly stimulate long DNA sensing by cGAS. U-turns and bends in DNA induced by these proteins pre-structure DNA to nucleate cGAS dimers. Our results suggest a nucleation-cooperativity-based mechanism for sensitive detection of mitochondrial DNA and pathogen genomes, and identify HMGB/TFAM proteins as DNA-structuring host factors. They provide an explanation for the peculiar cGAS dimer structure and suggest that cGAS preferentially binds incomplete nucleoid-like structures or bent DNA.

Inhomogeneous Oxygen Vacancy Distribution in Semiconductor Gas Sensors: Formation, Migration and Determination on Gas Sensing Characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jianqiao; Gao, Yinglin; Wu, Xu; Jin, Guohua; Zhai, Zhaoxia; Liu, Huan

2017-08-10

The density of oxygen vacancies in semiconductor gas sensors was often assumed to be identical throughout the grain in the numerical discussion of the gas-sensing mechanism of the devices. In contrast, the actual devices had grains with inhomogeneous distribution of oxygen vacancy under non-ideal conditions. This conflict between reality and discussion drove us to study the formation and migration of the oxygen defects in semiconductor grains. A model of the gradient-distributed oxygen vacancy was proposed based on the effects of cooling rate and re-annealing on semiconductive thin films. The model established the diffusion equations of oxygen vacancy according to the defect kinetics of diffusion and exclusion. We described that the steady-state and transient-state oxygen vacancy distributions, which were used to calculate the gas-sensing characteristics of the sensor resistance and response to reducing gases under two different conditions. The gradient-distributed oxygen vacancy model had the applications in simulating the sensor performances, such as the power law, the grain size effect and the effect of depletion layer width.

Inhomogeneous Oxygen Vacancy Distribution in Semiconductor Gas Sensors: Formation, Migration and Determination on Gas Sensing Characteristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianqiao Liu

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The density of oxygen vacancies in semiconductor gas sensors was often assumed to be identical throughout the grain in the numerical discussion of the gas-sensing mechanism of the devices. In contrast, the actual devices had grains with inhomogeneous distribution of oxygen vacancy under non-ideal conditions. This conflict between reality and discussion drove us to study the formation and migration of the oxygen defects in semiconductor grains. A model of the gradient-distributed oxygen vacancy was proposed based on the effects of cooling rate and re-annealing on semiconductive thin films. The model established the diffusion equations of oxygen vacancy according to the defect kinetics of diffusion and exclusion. We described that the steady-state and transient-state oxygen vacancy distributions, which were used to calculate the gas-sensing characteristics of the sensor resistance and response to reducing gases under two different conditions. The gradient-distributed oxygen vacancy model had the applications in simulating the sensor performances, such as the power law, the grain size effect and the effect of depletion layer width.

Enhanced gas sensing performance of TiO2 functionalized magneto-optical SPR sensors

OpenAIRE

Manera, Maria Grazia; Montagna, G.; Ferreiro-Vila, Elías; González-García, Lola; Sánchez-Valencia, J.R.; González-Elipe, Agustín R.; Cebollada, Alfonso; García-Martín, José Miguel; García-Martín, Antonio; Armelles Reig, Gaspar; Rella, Roberto

2011-01-01

Porous TiO2 thin films deposited by glancing angle deposition are used as sensing layers to monitor their sensing capabilities towards Volatile Organic Compounds both in a standard Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) sensor and in Magneto-Optical Surface Plasmon Resonance (MO-SPR) configuration in order to compare their sensing performances. Here our results on the enhanced sensing capability of these TiO2 functionalized MO-SPR sensors with Au/Co/Au transducers with respect to traditional SPR gas...

Optical backscatter probe for sensing particulate in a combustion gas stream

Science.gov (United States)

Parks, James E; Partridge, William P

2013-05-28

A system for sensing particulate in a combustion gas stream is disclosed. The system transmits light into a combustion gas stream, and thereafter detects a portion of the transmitted light as scattered light in an amount corresponding to the amount of particulates in the emissions. Purge gas may be supplied adjacent the light supply and the detector to reduce particles in the emissions from coating or otherwise compromising the transmission of light into the emissions and recovery of scattered light from the emissions.

Disposable, Paper-Based, Inkjet-Printed Humidity and H2S Gas Sensor for Passive Sensing Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Quddious, Abdul; Yang, Shuai; Khan, Munawar M.; Tahir, Farooq A.; Shamim, Atif; Salama, Khaled N.; Cheema, Hammad M.

2016-01-01

An inkjet-printed, fully passive sensor capable of either humidity or gas sensing is presented herein. The sensor is composed of an interdigitated electrode, a customized printable gas sensitive ink and a specialized dipole antenna for wireless sensing. The interdigitated electrode printed on a paper substrate provides the base conductivity that varies during the sensing process. Aided by the porous nature of the substrate, a change in relative humidity from 18% to 88% decreases the electrode resistance from a few Mega-ohms to the kilo-ohm range. For gas sensing, an additional copper acetate-based customized ink is printed on top of the electrode, which, upon reaction with hydrogen sulphide gas (H2S) changes, both the optical and the electrical properties of the electrode. A fast response time of 3 min is achieved at room temperature for a H2S concentration of 10 ppm at a relative humidity (RH) of 45%. The passive wireless sensing is enabled through an antenna in which the inner loop takes care of conductivity changes in the 4–5 GHz band, whereas the outer-dipole arm is used for chipless identification in the 2–3 GHz band. PMID:27929450

Disposable, Paper-Based, Inkjet-Printed Humidity and H2S Gas Sensor for Passive Sensing Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Quddious

2016-12-01

Full Text Available An inkjet-printed, fully passive sensor capable of either humidity or gas sensing is presented herein. The sensor is composed of an interdigitated electrode, a customized printable gas sensitive ink and a specialized dipole antenna for wireless sensing. The interdigitated electrode printed on a paper substrate provides the base conductivity that varies during the sensing process. Aided by the porous nature of the substrate, a change in relative humidity from 18% to 88% decreases the electrode resistance from a few Mega-ohms to the kilo-ohm range. For gas sensing, an additional copper acetate-based customized ink is printed on top of the electrode, which, upon reaction with hydrogen sulphide gas (H2S changes, both the optical and the electrical properties of the electrode. A fast response time of 3 min is achieved at room temperature for a H2S concentration of 10 ppm at a relative humidity (RH of 45%. The passive wireless sensing is enabled through an antenna in which the inner loop takes care of conductivity changes in the 4–5 GHz band, whereas the outer-dipole arm is used for chipless identification in the 2–3 GHz band.

Disposable, Paper-Based, Inkjet-Printed Humidity and H2S Gas Sensor for Passive Sensing Applications

KAUST Repository

Quddious, Abdul; Yang, Shuai; Khan, Munawar M.; Tahir, Farooq A.; Shamim, Atif; Salama, Khaled N.; Cheema, Hammad M.

2016-01-01

An inkjet-printed, fully passive sensor capable of either humidity or gas sensing is presented herein. The sensor is composed of an interdigitated electrode, a customized printable gas sensitive ink and a specialized dipole antenna for wireless sensing. The interdigitated electrode printed on a paper substrate provides the base conductivity that varies during the sensing process. Aided by the porous nature of the substrate, a change in relative humidity from 18% to 88% decreases the electrode resistance from a few Mega-ohms to the kilo-ohm range. For gas sensing, an additional copper acetate-based customized ink is printed on top of the electrode, which, upon reaction with hydrogen sulphide gas (HS) changes, both the optical and the electrical properties of the electrode. A fast response time of 3 min is achieved at room temperature for a HS concentration of 10 ppm at a relative humidity (RH) of 45%. The passive wireless sensing is enabled through an antenna in which the inner loop takes care of conductivity changes in the 4-5 GHz band, whereas the outer-dipole arm is used for chipless identification in the 2-3 GHz band.

Disposable, Paper-Based, Inkjet-Printed Humidity and H2S Gas Sensor for Passive Sensing Applications

KAUST Repository

Quddious, Abdul

2016-12-06

An inkjet-printed, fully passive sensor capable of either humidity or gas sensing is presented herein. The sensor is composed of an interdigitated electrode, a customized printable gas sensitive ink and a specialized dipole antenna for wireless sensing. The interdigitated electrode printed on a paper substrate provides the base conductivity that varies during the sensing process. Aided by the porous nature of the substrate, a change in relative humidity from 18% to 88% decreases the electrode resistance from a few Mega-ohms to the kilo-ohm range. For gas sensing, an additional copper acetate-based customized ink is printed on top of the electrode, which, upon reaction with hydrogen sulphide gas (HS) changes, both the optical and the electrical properties of the electrode. A fast response time of 3 min is achieved at room temperature for a HS concentration of 10 ppm at a relative humidity (RH) of 45%. The passive wireless sensing is enabled through an antenna in which the inner loop takes care of conductivity changes in the 4-5 GHz band, whereas the outer-dipole arm is used for chipless identification in the 2-3 GHz band.

CO2 Capture and Crystallization of Ammonia Bicarbonate in a Lab-Scale Scrubber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pao Chi Chen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A lab-scale bubble-column scrubber is used to capture CO2 gas and produce ammonia bicarbonate (ABC using aqueous ammonia as an absorbent under a constant pH and temperature. The CO2 concentration is adjusted by mixing N2 and CO2 in the range of 15–60 vol % at 55 °C. The process variables are the pH of the solution, temperature, gas-flow rate and the concentration of gas. The effects of the process variables on the removal efficiency (E, absorption rate (RA and overall mass-transfer coefficient (KGa were explored. A multiple-tube mass balance model was used to determine RA and KGa, in which RA and KGa were in the range of 2.14 × 10−4–1.09 × 10−3 mol/(s·L and 0.0136–0.5669 1/s, respectively. Results found that, RA showed an obvious increase with the increase in pH, inlet gas concentration and gas temperature, while KGa decreased with an increase in inlet gas concentration. Using linear regression, an empirical expression for KGa/E was obtained. On the other hand, ammonia bicarbonate crystals could be produced at a pH of 9.5 when the gas concentration was higher than 30% and γ (=Fg/FA, the gas-liquid molar flow rate ratio ≥ 1.5.

Electrospray-printed nanostructured graphene oxide gas sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, Anthony P; Velásquez-García, Luis F

2015-01-01

We report low-cost conductometric gas sensors that use an ultrathin film made of graphene oxide (GO) nanoflakes as transducing element. The devices were fabricated by lift-off metallization and near-room temperature, atmospheric pressure electrospray printing using a shadow mask. The sensors are sensitive to reactive gases at room temperature without requiring any post heat treatment, harsh chemical reduction, or doping with metal nanoparticles. The sensors’ response to humidity at atmospheric pressure tracks that of a commercial sensor, and is linear with changes in humidity in the 10%–60% relative humidity range while consuming <6 μW. Devices with GO layers printed by different deposition recipes yielded nearly identical response characteristics, suggesting that intrinsic properties of the film control the sensing mechanism. The gas sensors successfully detected ammonia at concentrations down to 500 ppm (absolute partial pressure of ∼5 × 10"−"4 T) at ∼1 T pressure, room temperature conditions. The sensor technology can be used in a great variety of applications including air conditioning and sensing of reactive gas species in vacuum lines and abatement systems. (paper)

Development of Polymethylmethacrylate Based Composite for Gas Sensing Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Devikala

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Gas detection instruments are increasingly needed for industrial health and safety, environmental monitoring and process control. Conductive polymer composites have various industrial applications. The composite prepared by mixing carbon black with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA has very good gas sensing applications. The gas sensors based on carbon nanotube/polymer, ceramic and metal oxide composites such as epoxy, polyimide, PMMA / Barium titanate and tin oxide have also been developed. In the present work, a new composite has been prepared by using PMMA and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP. The PMMA/Ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (PMADP composites PMADP 1 and PMADP 2 were characterized by using Powder XRD. The thick films of the composite on glass plates were prepared by using a spin coating unit at 9000 rpm. The application of the thick film as gas sensor has been studied between 0 and 2000 seconds. The results reveal that the thick film of PMADP composite can function as a very good gas sensor.

A model for the impact of the nanostructure size on its gas sensing properties

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alenezi, Mohammad R.; Alzanki, T.H.; Almeshal, A.M.

2015-01-01

The size of a metal oxide nanostructure plays a key role in its performance as a gas sensor. ZnO nanostructures with different morphologies including nanowires at different diameters and nanodisks at different thicknesses were synthesized hydrothermally. Gas sensors based on individual...... of the surface to volume ratio as well as the depletion region of the nanostructure. This work can be simply generalized for other metal oxides to enhance their performance as gas sensors....... nanostructures with different sizes were fabricated and their sensing properties were compared and investigated. Nanowires with smaller diameter size and higher surface to volume ratio showed enhanced gas sensing performance. Also, as the nanodisk thickness gets closer to the thickness of the ZnO depletion layer...

Porous screen printed indium tin oxide (ITO) for NOx gas sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mbarek, H.; Saadoun, M.; Bessais, B.

2007-01-01

Tin-doped Indium Oxide (ITO) films were prepared by the screen printing method. Transparent and conductive ITO thin films were obtained from an organometallic based paste fired in an Infrared furnace. The Screen printed ITO films were found to be granular and porous. This specific morphology was found to be suitable for sensing different gaseous species. This work investigates the possibility of using screen printed (ITO) films as a specific material for efficient NO x gas sensing. It was found that screen printed ITO is highly sensitive and stable towards NO x , especially for gas concentration higher than 50 ppm and starting from a substrate working temperature of about 180 C. The sensitivity of the ITO films increases with increasing NO x concentration and temperature. The sensitivity and stability of the screen printed ITO based sensors were studied within time. The ITO crystallite grain size dimension was found to be a key parameter that influences the gas response characteristics. Maximum gas sensitivity and minimum response time were observed for ITO films having lower crystallite size dimensions. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Ammonia-methane combustion in tangential swirl burners for gas turbine power generation

OpenAIRE

Valera Medina, Agustin; Marsh, Richard; Runyon, Jon; Pugh, Daniel; Beasley, Paul; Hughes, Timothy Richard; Bowen, Philip John

2017-01-01

Ammonia has been proposed as a potential energy storage medium in the transition towards a low-carbon economy. This paper details experimental results and numerical calculations obtained to progress towards optimisation of fuel injection and fluidic stabilisation in swirl burners with ammonia as the primary fuel. A generic tangential swirl burner has been employed to determine flame stability and emissions produced at different equivalence ratios using ammonia–methane blends. Experiments were...

Predicting catalysis: Understanding ammonia synthesis from first-principles calculations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hellmann, A.; Baerends, E.J.; Biczysko, M.

2006-01-01

. Furthermore, our studies provide new insight into several related fields, for instance, gas-phase and electrochemical ammonia synthesis. The success of predicting the outcome of a catalytic reaction from first-principles calculations supports our point of view that, in the future, theory will be a fully......Here, we give a full account of a large collaborative effort toward an atomic-scale understanding of modern industrial ammonia production over ruthenium catalysts. We show that overall rates of ammonia production can be determined by applying various levels of theory (including transition state...... for any given point along an industrial reactor, and the kinetic results can be integrated over the catalyst bed to determine the industrial reactor yield. We find that, given the present uncertainties, the rate of ammonia production is well-determined directly from our atomic-scale calculations...

A novel snowflake-like SnO2 hierarchical architecture with superior gas sensing properties

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yanqiong

2018-02-01

Snowflake-like SnO2 hierarchical architecture has been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method and followed by calcination. The SnO2 hierarchical structures are assembled with thin nanoflakes blocks, which look like snowflake shape. A possible mechanism for the formation of the SnO2 hierarchical structures is speculated. Moreover, gas sensing tests show that the sensor based on snowflake-like SnO2 architectures exhibited excellent gas sensing properties. The enhancement may be attributed to its unique structures, in which the porous feature on the snowflake surface could further increase the active surface area of the materials and provide facile pathways for the target gas.

Electrospun Nanofibers from a Tricyanofuran-Based Molecular Switch for Colorimetric Recognition of Ammonia Gas.

Science.gov (United States)

Khattab, Tawfik A; Abdelmoez, Sherif; Klapötke, Thomas M

2016-03-14

A chromophore based on tricyanofuran (TCF) with a hydrazone (H) recognition moiety was developed. Its molecular-switching performance is reversible and has differential sensitivity towards aqueous ammonia at comparable concentrations. Nanofibers were fabricated from the TCF-H chromophore by electrospinning. The film fabricated from these nanofibers functions as a solid-state optical chemosensor for probing ammonia vapor. Recognition of ammonia vapor occurs by proton transfer from the hydrazone fragment of the chromophore to the ammonia nitrogen atom and is facilitated by the strongly electron withdrawing TCF fragment. The TCF-H chromophore was added to a solution of poly(acrylic acid), which was electrospun to obtain a nanofibrous sensor device. The morphology of the nanofibrous sensor was determined by SEM, which showed that nanofibers with a diameter range of 200-450 nm formed a nonwoven mat. The resultant nanofibrous sensor showed very good sensitivity in ammonia-vapor detection. Furthermore, very good reversibility and short response time were also observed. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Controllable synthesis of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/polyethyleneimine-carbon nanotubes nanocomposites for CO and NH{sub 3} gas sensing at room temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Yufei [Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China); Kan, Kan [Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China); Institute of Advanced Technology, Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150000 (China); Song, Wanzhen; Zhang, Guo; Dang, Lifang [Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China); Xie, Yu [Department of Materials Chemistry, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang 330063 (China); Shen, Peikang [Department of Physics and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275 (China); Li, Li, E-mail: llwjjhlju@sina.cn [Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China); Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering Process & Technology for High-efficiency Conversion, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China); Shi, Keying, E-mail: shikeying2008@163.com [Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China)

2015-08-05

Graphical abstract: Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/polyethyleneimine-carbon nanotubes composites (CoPCNTs) have been successfully controllable synthesized via hydrothermal method at different temperature. The CoPCNTs sensors exhibited the highest response to CO and NH{sub 3} gases with response time of 4 s and 4.3 s, low detection limit of 5 ppm and 1 ppm at room temperature, respectively. The enhanced gas sensing could be ascribed to the synergistic effect between the tiny size of Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} and good conductivity of carbon nanotubes functionalized by polyethyleneimine. - Highlights: • The CNTs functionalized by polyethyleneimine provided a new functional structural. • The novel 1D structure could capture and migrate electrons quickly. • The Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles liked a snake winding around CNTs. • The gas sensor could work at room temperatures, which suit to practical application. - Abstract: A novel 1D Co{sub 3}O{sub 4}/polyethyleneimine-carbon nanotubes composites (CoPCNTs) have been successfully synthesized via hydrothermal method at different temperature. The CNTs functionalized by polyethyleneimine (PCNTs) provided a new material with new structural and functional properties. The PCNTs was used as loading guider and electron transfer path. The Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles (NPs) loaded on the PCNTs surface liked a snake winding around CNTs, and the size was about 5–10 nm. The gas sensing characteristics of the CoPCNTs sensors to carbon monoxide (CO) and ammonia (NH{sub 3}) were evaluated with different gas concentration. The CoPCNTs sensors grown at 160 °C exhibited the highest response to CO and NH{sub 3} gases with response time of 4 s and 4.3 s at room temperature (RT), respectively. Hence, the approach developed in this work would be important for the low-cost and large-scale production of the CoPCNTs materials with highly promising applications in gas sensors.

Room temperature H{sub 2}S gas sensing characteristics of platinum (Pt) coated porous alumina (PoAl) thick films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

More, P.S., E-mail: p_smore@yahoo.co.in [Department of Physics, Institute of Science, Mumbai 400 032 (India); Raut, R.W. [Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Mumbai 400 032 (India); Ghuge, C.S. [Department of Physics, Institute of Science, Mumbai 400 032 (India)

2014-02-14

The study reports H{sub 2}S gas sensing characteristics of platinum (Pt) coated porous alumina (PoAl) films. The porous alumina (PoAl) thick layers were formed in the dark on aluminum substrates using an electrochemical anodization method. Thin semitransparent platinum (Pt) films were deposited on PoAl samples using chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The films were characterized using energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thicknesses of coated and bare films were measured using ellipsometry. The sensing properties such as sensitivity factor (S.F.), response time, recovery time and repeatability were measured using a static gas sensing system for H{sub 2}S gas. The EDAX studies confirmed the purity of Pt–PoAl film and indicated the formation of pure platinum (Pt) phase. The ellipsometry studies revealed the thickness of PoAl layer of about 15–17 μm on aluminum substrates. The SEM studies demonstrated uniform distribution of spherical pores with a size between 0.250 and 0.500 μm for PoAl film and nearly spherical platinum particles with average particle size ∼100 nm for Pt–PoAl film. The gas-sensing properties of these samples were studied in a home-built static gas characterization system. The H{sub 2}S gas sensing properties of Pt–PoAl at 1000 ppm of H{sub 2}S gave maximum sensitivity factor (S.F.) = 1200. The response time and recovery time were found to be 2–3 min and ∼1 min respectively. Further, the measurement of H{sub 2}S gas sensing properties clearly indicated the repeatability of gas sensing response of Pt–PoAl film. The present study indicated the significant potential of Pt coated PoAl films for H{sub 2}S gas sensing applications in diverse areas. - Highlights: • Electrochemical anodization, cheap and effective method for fabrication of PoAl. • Chemical bath deposition, a simple and effective method for deposition of Pt on PoAl. • A nano-composite film sensor with high sensitivity

Plasma source ion implantation of ammonia into electroplated chromium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheuer, J.T.; Walter, K.C.; Rej, D.J.; Nastasi, M.; Blanchard, J.P.

1995-01-01

Ammonia gas (NH 3 ) has been used as a nitrogen source for plasma source ion implantation processing of electroplated chromium. No evidence was found of increased hydrogen concentrations in the bulk material, implying that ammonia can be used without risking hydrogen embrittlement. The retained nitrogen dose of 2.1 x 10 17 N-at/cm 2 is sufficient to increase the surface hardness of electroplated Cr by 24% and decrease the wear rate by a factor of 4

Effect of operation of ammonia plants on the performance of heavy water plants (Paper No. 2.7)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

Heavy Water Plant, Hazira has two streams and each stream is designed to process 48 MT/hr of synthesis gas to produce the rated quantity of heavy water. However in actual practice, it is observed that actual gas composition is different from the above due to various reasons. This article describes effects of various parameters of ammonia plant on the functioning of heavy water plants, such as concentration of D/D+H in synthesis gas, concentration of hydrogen in synthesis gas, concentration of inerts in synthesis gas, pressure of synthesis gas, on stream days of ammonia plant, and concentration of impurities like CO/CO 2 in synthesis gas. (author). 2 figs

Ammonia sensor for closed-loop SCR control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, D.Y.; Yao, S.; Shost, M.; Yoo, J.H.; Cabush, D.; Racine, D.; Cloudt, R.P.M.; Willems, F.P.T.

2009-01-01

Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) is the dominant solution for meeting future NOx reduction regulations for heavy-duty diesel powertrains. SCR systems benefit from closed-loop control if an appropriate exhaust gas sensor were available. An ammonia sensor has recently been developed for use as a

Ammonia sensor for closed-loop SCR control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, D.Y.; Yao, S.; Shost, M.; Yoo, J.H.; Cabush, D.; Racine, D.; Cloudt, R.P.M.; Willems, F.P.T.

2008-01-01

Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) is the dominant solution for meeting future NOx reduction regulations for heavy-duty diesel powertrains. SCR systems benefit from closed-loop control if an appropriate exhaust gas sensor were available. An ammonia sensor has recently been developed for use as a

All-soft, battery-free, and wireless chemical sensing platform based on liquid metal for liquid- and gas-phase VOC detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Min-Gu; Alrowais, Hommood; Kim, Choongsoon; Yeon, Pyungwoo; Ghovanloo, Maysam; Brand, Oliver

2017-06-27

Lightweight, flexible, stretchable, and wireless sensing platforms have gained significant attention for personal healthcare and environmental monitoring applications. This paper introduces an all-soft (flexible and stretchable), battery-free, and wireless chemical microsystem using gallium-based liquid metal (eutectic gallium-indium alloy, EGaIn) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), fabricated using an advanced liquid metal thin-line patterning technique based on soft lithography. Considering its flexible, stretchable, and lightweight characteristics, the proposed sensing platform is well suited for wearable sensing applications either on the skin or on clothing. Using the microfluidic sensing platform, detection of liquid-phase and gas-phase volatile organic compounds (VOC) is demonstrated using the same design, which gives an opportunity to have the sensor operate under different working conditions and environments. In the case of liquid-phase chemical sensing, the wireless sensing performance and microfluidic capacitance tunability for different dielectric liquids are evaluated using analytical, numerical, and experimental approaches. In the case of gas-phase chemical sensing, PDMS is used both as a substrate and a sensing material. The gas sensing performance is evaluated and compared to a silicon-based, solid-state gas sensor with a PDMS sensing film.

Terahertz gas sensing based on a simple one-dimensional photonic crystal cavity with high-quality factors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, T.; Han, Z. H.; Liu, J. J.

2014-01-01

We report in this paper terahertz gas sensing using a simple 1D photonic crystal cavity. The resonant frequencies of the cavity depend linearly on the refractive index of the ambient gas, which can then be measured by monitoring the resonance shift. Although quite easy to manufacture, this cavity...... exhibits high-quality factors, facilitating the realization of high sensitivity in the gas refractive index sensing. In our experiment, 6% of the change of hydrogen concentration in air, which corresponds to a refractive index change of 1.4 x 10(-5), can be steadily detected, and different gas samples can...

Structural transformation and enhanced gas sensing characteristics of TiO2 nanostructures induced by annealing

Science.gov (United States)

Tshabalala, Zamaswazi P.; Motaung, David E.; Swart, Hendrik C.

2018-04-01

The improved sensitivity and selectivity, and admirable stability are fundamental features required for the current age gas sensing devices to appease future humanity and environmental requirements. Therefore, herein, we report on the room temperature gas sensing behaviour of TiO2 nanotubes with significance response and sensitivity towards 60 ppm NO2 gas. Improved sensitivity of 29.44 ppm-1 and admirable selectivity towards NO2, among other gases ensuring adequate safety in monitoring NO2 in automobile and food industries. The improved sensitivity of TiO2 nanotubes was attributed to larger surface area provided by the hollow nanotubes resulting to improved gas adsorption and the relatively high concentration of oxygen vacancies.

PDMS membranes as sensing element in optical sensors for gas detection in water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefania Torino

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS has been introduced the first time about 20years ago. This polymer is worldwide used for the rapid prototyping of microfluidic device through a replica molding process. However, the great popularity of PDMS is not only related to its easy processability, but also to its chemical and physical properties. For its interesting properties, the polymer has been implied for several applications, including sensing. In this work, we investigated how to use functionalized PDMS membranes as sensing elements in optical sensors for gas detection in water samples. Keywords: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR sensors, Gas sensor

Solar central receiver reformer system for ammonia plants

Science.gov (United States)

1980-07-01

An overview of a study to retrofit the Valley Nitrogen Producers, Inc., El Centro, California 600 ST/SD Ammonia Plant with Solar Central Receiver Technology is presented. The retrofit system consists of a solar central receiver reformer (SCRR) operating in parallel with the existing fossil fired reformer. Steam and hydrocarbon react in the catalyst filled tubes of the inner cavity receiver to form a hydrogen rich mixture which is the syngas feed for the ammonia production. The SCRR system will displace natural gas presently used in the fossil reformer combustion chamber.

Study of ammonia removal from coal-gasified fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasegawa, Takeharu; Sato, Mikio [Central Research Inst. of Electric Power Industry, Yokosuka, Kanagawa (Japan)

1998-07-01

In integrated coal gasification combined-cycle power-generation (IGCC) systems, ammonia in gasified fuel is passed through a hot/dry type gas clean-up facility into a gas turbine. The ammonia is converted to nitrogen oxides in the gas turbine combustion process. Therefore, ammonia removal from coal-gasified fuel effectively reduces NO{sub x} emissions in IGCC systems. The authors clarified the optimum NO/NH{sub 3} ratio, the optimum concentration of added O{sub 2}, and the influence of CO, H{sub 2}, and CH{sub 4} in the coal-gasified fuel on NH{sub 3} decomposition and NO reduction through experiments using a tubular flow reactor and numerical analysis based on reaction kinetics. The main results were as follows: (1) The optimum NO/NH{sub 3} ratio for maximizing NH{sub 3} decomposition and NO reduction was about 1. (2) The NH{sub 3} decomposition ratio depended only on H{sub 2}, and decreased rapidly with increasing H{sub 2} concentration. (3) The NO reduction ratio decreased with an increasing H{sub 2} concentration. (4) The remaining CH{sub 4}, which was not decomposed by pyrolysis, increased with an increasing CH{sub 4} concentration and caused the reaction temperature to rise, as opposed to cases of CO and H{sub 2}. (5) The method was effective in decreasing total fixed nitrogen (TFN) by up to 40% and minimizing the total concentration of remaining NH{sub 3} and NO in air-blown, coal-gasified fuel.

Ammonia production in nitrogen seeded plasma discharges in ASDEX Upgrade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rohde, V., E-mail: Volker.Rohde@ipp.mpg.de; Oberkofler, M.

2015-08-15

In present tokamaks nitrogen seeding is used to reduce the power load onto the divertor tiles. Some fraction of the seeded nitrogen reacts with hydrogen to form ammonia. The behaviour of ammonia in ASDEX Upgrade is studied by mass spectrometry. Injection without plasma shows strong absorption at the inner walls of the vessel and isotope exchange reactions. During nitrogen seeding in H-mode discharges the onset of a saturation of the nitrogen retention is observed. The residual gas consists of strongly deuterated methane and ammonia with almost equal amounts of deuterium and protium. This confirms the role of surface reactions in the ammonia formation. The results are consistent with findings in previous investigations. A numerical decomposition of mass spectra is under development and will be needed for quantitative evaluation of the results obtained.

MEASUREMENT OF AMMONIA EMISSIONS FROM MECHANICALLY VENTILATED POULTRY HOUSES USING MULTIPATH TUNABLE DIODE LASER SPECTROSCOPY

Science.gov (United States)

Ammonia emissions from mechanically ventilated poultry operations are an important environmental concern. Open Path Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy has emerged as a robust real-time method for gas phase measurement of ammonia concentrations in agricultural settings. ...

Reduced chemical mechanisms for ammonia/methane co-firing for gas turbine applications

OpenAIRE

Xiao, Hua; Howard, M.S.; Valera Medina, Agustin; Dooley, S.; Bowen, Philip John

2017-01-01

Energy storage is one of the major challenges facing the world towards its challenging 2050 climate-change targets. A potential enabler of a low-carbon economy is the energy vector hydrogen. However, issues associated with hydrogen have led to consider other molecules such as ammonia as a potential candidate for chemical storage. Apart from its relatively high stability under atmospheric temperature, ammonia has the added attraction that it can also be sold on international markets or be used...

Treatment of reactive process wastewater with high-level ammonia by blow-off method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Xiaotong; Quan Ying; Wang Yang; Fu Genna; Liu Bing; Tang Yaping

2012-01-01

The ceramic UO 2 kernels for nuclear fuel elements of high temperature gas cooled reactors were prepared through sol-gel process with uranyl nitrate, which produces process wastewater containing high-level ammonia and uranium. The blow-off method on a bench scale was investigated to remove ammonia from reactive wastewater. Under the optimized operating conditions, the ammonia can be removed by more than 95%, with little reactive uranium distilled. The effects of pH, heating temperature and stripping time were studied. Static tests with ion-exchange resin indicate that ammonia removal treatment increases uranium accumulation in anion exchange resin. (authors)

Preparation of nanostructured PbS thin films as sensing element for NO{sub 2} gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaci, S., E-mail: k_samira05@yahoo.fr [Centre de Recherche en Technologie des Semi-conducteurs pour l’Energétique (CRTSE) Division Couches Minces et Interfaces, 02 Bd Frantz Fanon, B.P. 140, 7 Merveilles, 16038 Algiers (Algeria); Keffous, A.; Hakoum, S. [Centre de Recherche en Technologie des Semi-conducteurs pour l’Energétique (CRTSE) Division Couches Minces et Interfaces, 02 Bd Frantz Fanon, B.P. 140, 7 Merveilles, 16038 Algiers (Algeria); Trari, M. [Université des Sciences et Technologies Houari Boumediene (USTHB), Laboratoire de Stockage et de Valorisation des Eneriges Renouvelables, Faculté de Chimie, BP 32, EL Alia, 16111 Bab Ezzouar, Algiers (Algeria); Mansri, O.; Menari, H. [Centre de Recherche en Technologie des Semi-conducteurs pour l’Energétique (CRTSE) Division Couches Minces et Interfaces, 02 Bd Frantz Fanon, B.P. 140, 7 Merveilles, 16038 Algiers (Algeria)

2014-06-01

In this work, we demonstrate that semiconducting films of A{sub IV}B{sub VI} compounds, in particular, of nanostructured lead sulfide (PbS) which prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD), can be used as a sensing element for nitrogen dioxide (NO{sub 2}) gas. The CBD method is versatile, simple in implementation and gives homogeneous semiconductor structures. We have prepared PbS nanocrystalline thin film at different reaction baths and temperatures. In the course of deposition, variable amounts of additives, such as organic substances among them, were introduced into the baths. The energy dispersive analysis (EDX) confirms the chemical composition of PbS films. A current–voltage (I–V) characterization of Pd/nc-PbS/a-SiC:H pSi(100)/Al Schottky diode structures were studied in the presence of NO{sub 2} gas. The gas sensing behavior showed that the synthesized PbS nanocrystalline thin films were influenced by NO{sub 2} gas at room temperature. The results can be used for developing an experimental sensing element based on chemically deposited nanostructured PbS films which can be applicable in gas sensors.

The Electrostatically Formed Nanowire: A Novel Platform for Gas-Sensing Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gil Shalev

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The electrostatically formed nanowire (EFN gas sensor is based on a multiple-gate field-effect transistor with a conducting nanowire, which is not defined physically; rather, the nanowire is defined electrostatically post-fabrication, by using appropriate biasing of the different surrounding gates. The EFN is fabricated by using standard silicon processing technologies with relaxed design rules and, thereby, supports the realization of a low-cost and robust gas sensor, suitable for mass production. Although the smallest lithographic definition is higher than half a micrometer, appropriate tuning of the biasing of the gates concludes a conducting channel with a tunable diameter, which can transform the conducting channel into a nanowire with a diameter smaller than 20 nm. The tunable size and shape of the nanowire elicits tunable sensing parameters, such as sensitivity, limit of detection, and dynamic range, such that a single EFN gas sensor can perform with high sensitivity and a broad dynamic range by merely changing the biasing configuration. The current work reviews the design of the EFN gas sensor, its fabrication considerations and process flow, means of electrical characterization, and preliminary sensing performance at room temperature, underlying the unique and advantageous tunable capability of the device.

A method for the determination of volatile ammonia in air, using a nitrogen-cooled trap and fluorometric detection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westra, H.G.; Tigchelaar, R.G.; Berden, J.A.

2001-01-01

A quick, cheap, and accurate method for the determination of ammonia in air is described. Ammonia and water vapor are trapped simultaneously in a gas sampling tube cooled in liquid nitrogen. Subsequently ammonia is derivatized with o-phthaldialdehyde and determined using fluorescence detection. The

Effect of design and operation of modern ammonia plants on the performance of integrated heavy water plants (Paper No. 2.1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Manoj; Haldar, T.K.; Gupta, S.K.; Ramamurty, C.B.

1992-01-01

The heavy water plant being parasitic in nature, its design, operation and performance is affected to a great extent by the design, performance and operation of the ammonia plant. Some of the factors which affect the performance of heavy water plant such as on-stream hours and capacity utilisation of the ammonia plant, deuterium concentration (D/D+H) in feed synthesis gas, operating pressure of synthesis loop of ammonia plant, composition of feed synthesis gas, and level of oxygenated impurities in feed synthesis gas are described in this paper. (author). 3 tabs., 4 figs

Ammonia-water exchange front end process for ammonia-hydrogen heavy water plants (Preprint No. PD-1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadhukhan, H.K.; Varadarajan, T.G.; Nair, N.K.; Das, S.K.; Nath, G.K.

1989-04-01

The ammonia-hydrogen exchange process, which utilizes the deutrium exchange between liquid ammonia and gaseous hydrogen is a parasitic process and the heavy water plants (HWP) based on this process has to be linked with the fertilizer plant (FP) for its enormous requirements of hydrogen (synthesis gas, N 2 +3H 2 ). This dependence of HWP on FP gives rise to certain constraints which are listed. These deficiencies of the ammonia-hydrogen process can be overcome to a great extent by delinking the HWP from FP by incorporating NH 3 -H 2 O exchange as the front end step. In addition to the elimination of the above limitations, by employing water as the ultimate feed for the HWP, the plant capacity can be increased substantially and this would go a long way in achieving economies of the large capacity plants. A schematic diagram of this integrated plant is given. Some of the results of developmental efforts and feasibility studies of this NH 3 -H 2 O exchange are briefly reviewed. (author). 4 figs

Controlled Synthesis of Hierarchically Assembled Porous ZnO Microspheres with Enhanced Gas-Sensing Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shengsheng You

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The ZnO microspheres constructed by porous nanosheets were successfully synthesized by calcinating zinc hydroxide carbonate (ZHC microspheres obtained by a sample hydrothermal method. The samples were characterized in detail with scanning electron microscopy (SEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD, and thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC. The results indicated that the prepared ZnO microspheres were well crystalline with wurtzite hexagonal phase. The effects of reaction time, temperature, the amount of trisodium citrate, and urea on the morphology of ZnO microspheres were studied. The formation mechanism of porous ZnO microspheres was discussed. Furthermore, the gas-sensing properties for detection of organic gas of the prepared porous ZnO microspheres were investigated. The results indicated that the prepared porous ZnO microspheres exhibited high gas-sensing properties for detection of ethanol gas.

Laboratory-Scale Demonstration Using Dilute Ammonia Gas-Induced Alkaline Hydrolysis of Soil Contaminants (Chlorinated Propanes and Explosives)

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-01

stabilization of metals (like Cr (VI)) and radionuclides ( uranium or technetium) (Thornton and Amonette 1999, Thornton et al. 2007). Master variable...successful at significantly reducing uranium mobility, although the effect was somewhat reversible. Ammonia oxidation and remediation Ammonia...activity of ammonia- oxidizing microorganisms. A 283-day experiment did not result in any measureable increase in ammonia- oxidizing microorganisms

Air Quality in Alternative Housing Systems may have an Impact on Laying Hen Welfare. Part II—Ammonia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruce David

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The EU ban on conventional barren cages for laying hens from 2012 has improved many aspects of laying hen welfare. The new housing systems allow for the expression of highly-motivated behaviors. However, the systems available for intensive large-scale egg production (e.g., aviaries, floor housing systems, furnished cages may cause other welfare challenges. We have reviewed the literature regarding the health, behavior, production characteristics, and welfare of laying hens when exposed to ammonia in their housing environment. Concentrations of ammonia gas are commonly high in aviaries and floor housing systems in which manure is not regularly removed, whereas they are usually lower in furnished cages. High levels are found during the cold season when ventilation flow is often reduced. Ammonia is a pungent gas, and behavioral studies indicate chickens are averse to the gas. High concentrations of gaseous ammonia can have adverse health effects and, when very high, even influence production performance. The most profound effects seen are the occurrence of lesions in the respiratory tract and keratoconjunctivitis. There is also evidence that high ammonia concentrations predispose poultry to respiratory disease and secondary infections. We conclude that there are animal welfare challenges related to high ammonia levels, and that immediate actions are needed. Development of improved systems and management routines for manure removal and ventilation will be important for the reduction of ammonia levels and hence will contribute to safeguarding hen welfare.

Flexible camphor sulfonic acid-doped PAni/α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} nanocomposite films and their room temperature ammonia sensing activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bandgar, D.K. [Functional Materials Research Laboratory (FMRL), School of Physical Sciences, Solapur University, Solapur 413 255, M.S. (India); Navale, S.T. [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, Nanshan District Key Lab for Biopolymers and Safety Evaluation, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060 (China); Navale, Y.H.; Ingole, S.M. [Functional Materials Research Laboratory (FMRL), School of Physical Sciences, Solapur University, Solapur 413 255, M.S. (India); Stadler, F.J. [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, Nanshan District Key Lab for Biopolymers and Safety Evaluation, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060 (China); Ramgir, N.; Aswal, D.K.; Gupta, S.K. [Technical Physics Division, Babha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, M.S. (India); Mane, R.S. [School of Physical Sciences, SRTM University, Nanded 431606 (India); Patil, V.B., E-mail: drvbpatil@gmail.com [Functional Materials Research Laboratory (FMRL), School of Physical Sciences, Solapur University, Solapur 413 255, M.S. (India)

2017-03-01

Composite nanostructures play a crucial role in gas sensing applications owing to their tunable properties and sizes. The main goal of this article is to prepare camphor sulfonic acid (10–50 wt%)-doped PAni/α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} (PFC) composite nanostructured films on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate through in-situ polymerization process and study their gas sensing activity towards various gases. Structural and morphological measurements along with gas sensing properties in terms of selectivity, response, stability, and response-recovery times are investigated and reported. The gas selectivity tests of flexible PFC nanostructured composite films are performed towards different gases such as NO{sub 2}, NH{sub 3}, LPG, CH{sub 3}OH, and C{sub 2}H{sub 5}OH etc., wherein all the flexible PFC (10–50%) films demonstrate a superior selectivity towards NH{sub 3} gas even in the presence of other test gases. Among the different compositions, 30% PFC flexible film exhibits highest response of 72% to 100 ppm NH{sub 3} with good response time of 65 s. The systematic study between PFC flexible nanocomposite films and NH{sub 3} gas is conducted and reported. In addition, the interfacial charge transfer kinetics across NH{sub 3} and PFC film interface was investigated by means of impendence spectroscopy study. - Highlights: • Novel route of preparation of camphor sulfonic acid doped PAni-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} (PFC) flexible films. • XRD, FTIR, and RAMAN analysis confirms the formation of PFC composites. • PFC films are highly selective towards NH{sub 3} gas at room temperature. • PFC films able to detect as low as 2.5 ppm concentration of NH{sub 3} gas. • 30% PFC flexible film exhibits highest response of 72%–100 ppm NH{sub 3} gas with good response time of 65 s.

Ammonia removal in electrochemical oxidation: Mechanism and pseudo-kinetics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Liang; Liu Yan

2009-01-01

This paper investigated the mechanism and pseudo-kinetics for removal of ammonia by electrochemical oxidation with RuO 2 /Ti anode using batch tests. The results show that the ammonia oxidation rates resulted from direct oxidation at electrode-liquid interfaces of the anode by stepwise dehydrogenation, and from indirect oxidation by hydroxyl radicals were so slow that their contribution to ammonia removal was negligible under the condition with Cl - . The oxidation rates of ammonia ranged from 1.0 to 12.3 mg N L -1 h -1 and efficiency reached nearly 100%, primarily due to the indirect oxidation of HOCl, and followed pseudo zero-order kinetics in electrochemical oxidation with Cl - . About 88% ammonia was removed from the solution. The removed one was subsequently found in the form of N 2 in the produced gas. The rate at which Cl - lost electrons at the anode was a major factor in the overall ammonia oxidation. Current density and Cl - concentration affected the constant of the pseudo zero-order kinetics, expressed by k = 0.0024[Cl - ] x j. The ammonia was reduced to less than 0.5 mg N L -1 after 2 h of electrochemical oxidation for the effluent from aerobic or anaerobic reactors which treated municipal wastewater. This result was in line with the strict discharge requirements

Co-doped phosphorene: Enhanced sensitivity of CO gas sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, S. Y.; Luan, S.; Yu, H.

2018-03-01

First-principle calculation was carried out to systematically investigate carbon monoxide (CO) adsorption on pristine and cobalt (Co)-doped phosphorenes (Co-bP). Whether or not CO is adsorped, pristine phosphorene is a direct-band-gap semiconductor. However, the bandgap of Co-bP experiences direct-to-indirect transition after CO molecule adsorption, which will affect optical absorption considerably, implying that Co doping can enhance the sensitivity of phosphorene as a CO gas sensor. Moreover, Co doping can improve an adsorption energy of CO to 1.31 eV, as compared with pristine phosphorene (0.12 eV), also indicating that Co-bP is energetically favorable for CO gas sensing.

Ammonia blood test

Science.gov (United States)

... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003506.htm Ammonia blood test To use the sharing features on this page, ... Encephalopathy - ammonia; Cirrhosis - ammonia; Liver failure - ammonia Images Blood test References Chernecky CC, Berger BJ. Ammonia (NH3) - blood ...

Studies on Gas Sensing Performance of Pure and Surface Chrominated Indium Oxide Thick Film Resistors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. N. CHAVAN

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The thick films of AR grade In2O3 were prepared by standard screen-printing technique. The gas sensing performance of thick film was tested for various gases. It showed maximum gas response to ethanol vapor at 350 oC for 80 ppm. To improve the gas response and selectivity of the film towards a particular gas, In2O3 thick films were modified by dipping them in an aqueous solution of 0.1 M CrO3 for different intervals of time. The surface chrominated (20 min In2O3 thick film showed maximum response to H2S gas (40 ppm than pure In2O3 thick film at 250 oC. Chromium oxide on the surface of the film shifts the gas response from ethanol vapor to H2S gas. A systematic study of sensing performance of the sensor indicates the key role played by chromium oxide on the surface of thick film. The selectivity, gas response and recovery time of the sensor were measured and presented.

The nitrate to ammonia and ceramic (NAC) process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattus, A.J.; Lee, D.D.

1993-01-01

A new low-temperature (50--60 degrees C) process for the reduction of nitrate or nitrite to ammonia gas in a stirred, ethylene glycol led reactor has been developed. The process has nearly completed 2 years of bench-top testing in preparation for a pilot-scale demonstration in the fall of 1994. The nitrate to ammonia and ceramic (NAC) process utilizes the active metal Al (in powder or shot form) in alkaline solution to convert nitrate to ammonia gas with the liberation of heat. Between 0.8 and 1.6 kg of Al per kilogram of sodium nitrate is required to convert solutions of between 3.1 and 6.2 M nitrate to near zero concentration. Prior to feeding Al to the reactor, 40 μm quartz is added based upon the total sodium content of the waste. Upon adding the Al, a by-product of gibbsite precipitates in the reactor as the ammonia leaves the solution. At the end of the reaction, the alumina-silica-based solids are dewatered, calcined, pressed, and sintered into a hard ceramic. Comparing the volume of the final ceramic product with the volume of the starting waste solution, we obtain an ∼70% volume reduction. This compares with an expected 50% volume increase if the waste were immobilized in cement-based grout. The process is being developed for use at Hanford, where as much as 125,000 tonnes of nitrate salts is stored in 4 million liter tanks. DOE may be able to shred radioactively contaminated scrap aluminum, and use this metal to feed the NAC reactor

Room temperature H2S gas sensing property of indium oxide thin films obtained by pulsed D.C. magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nisha, R.; Madhusoodanan, K.N.; Karthikeyan, Sreejith; Hill, Arthur E.; Pilkington, Richard D.

2013-01-01

Indium oxide thin films were prepared by pulsed dc magnetron sputtering technique with no substrate heating. X-ray diffraction was used to investigate the structural properties and AFM was used to study the surface morphology gas sensing performance were conducted using a static gas sensing system. Room temperature gas sensing performance was conducted in range of 17 to 286 ppm. The sensitivity, response and recovery time of the sensor was also determined. (author)

Retained Gas Sampler Calibration and Simulant Tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

CRAWFORD, B.A.

2000-01-05

This test plan provides a method for calibration of the retained gas sampler (RGS) for ammonia gas analysis. Simulant solutions of ammonium hydroxide at known concentrations will be diluted with isotopically labeled 0.04 M ammonium hydroxide solution. Sea sand solids will also be mixed with ammonium hydroxide solution and diluent to determine the accuracy of the system for ammonia gas analysis.

Retained Gas Sampler Calibration and Simulant Tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

CRAWFORD, B.A.

2000-01-01

This test plan provides a method for calibration of the retained gas sampler (RGS) for ammonia gas analysis. Simulant solutions of ammonium hydroxide at known concentrations will be diluted with isotopically labeled 0.04 M ammonium hydroxide solution. Sea sand solids will also be mixed with ammonium hydroxide solution and diluent to determine the accuracy of the system for ammonia gas analysis

Equations of state of detonation products: ammonia and methane

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, John; Dattelbaum, Dana; Goodwin, Peter; Garcia, Daniel; Coe, Joshua; Leiding, Jeffery; Gibson, Lloyd; Bartram, Brian

2015-06-01

Ammonia (NH3) and methane (CH4) are two principal product gases resulting from explosives detonation, and the decomposition of other organic materials under shockwave loading (such as foams). Accurate thermodynamic descriptions of these gases are important for understanding the detonation performance of high explosives. However, shock compression data often do not exist for molecular species in the dense gas phase, and are limited in the fluid phase. Here, we present equation of state measurements of elevated initial density ammonia and methane gases dynamically compressed in gas-gun driven plate impact experiments. Pressure and density of the shocked gases on the principal Hugoniot were determined from direct particle velocity and shock wave velocity measurements recorded using optical velocimetry (Photonic Doppler velocimetry (PDV) and VISAR (velocity interferometer system for any reflector)). Streak spectroscopy and 5-color pyrometry were further used to measure the emission from the shocked gases, from which the temperatures of the shocked gases were estimated. Up to 0.07 GPa, ammonia was not observed to ionize, with temperature remaining below 7000 K. These results provide quantitative measurements of the Hugoniot locus for improving equations of state models of detonation products.

The improvement of gas-sensing properties of SnO2/zeolite-assembled composite

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yanhui; Wang, Jing; Li, Xiaogan; Du, Haiying; Huang, Qingpan

2018-05-01

SnO2-impregnated zeolite composites were used as gas-sensing materials to improve the sensitivity and selectivity of the metal oxide-based resistive-type gas sensors. Nanocrystalline MFI type zeolite (ZSM-5) was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. Highly dispersive SnO2 nanoparticles were then successfully assembled on the surface of the ZSM-5 nanoparticles by using the impregnation methods. The SnO2 nanoparticles are nearly spherical with the particle size of 10 nm. An enhanced formaldehyde sensing of as-synthesized SnO2-ZSM-5-based sensor was observed whereas a suppression on the sensor response to other volatile organic vapors (VOCs) such as acetone, ethanol, and methanol was noticed. The possible reasons for this contrary observation were proposed to be related to the amount of the produced water vapor during the sensing reactions assisted by the ZSM-5 nanoparticles. This provides a possible new strategy to improve the selectivity of the gas sensors. The effect of the humidity on the sensor response to formaldehyde was investigated and it was found the higher humidity would decrease the sensor response. A coating layer of the ZSM-5 nanoparticles on top of the SnO2-ZSM-5-sensing film was thus applied to further improve the sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor through the strong adsorption ability to polar gases and the "filtering effect" by the pores of ZSM-5.

Review of methods for determination of ammonia volatilization in farmland

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, J.; Jiao, Y.; Yang, W. Z.; Gu, P.; Bai, S. G.; Liu, L. J.

2018-02-01

Ammonia is one of the most abundant alkaline trace gases in the atmosphere, which is one of the important factors affecting atmospheric quality. Excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer is the main source of global ammonia emissions, which not only exacerbate greenhouse gas emissions, but also leads to eutrophication of water bodies. In this paper, the basic principle, the operation process, the advantages and disadvantages, and the previous research results of the method are summarized in detail, including the enclosure method, the venting method, the continuous airflow enclosure method, the wind tunnel method and the micro-meteorological method. So as to provide a theoretical basis for selecting the appropriate method for determination of ammonia volatilization.

Odor-Sensing System to Support Social Participation of People Suffering from Incontinence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alvaro Ortiz Pérez

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This manuscript describes the design considerations, implementation, and laboratory validation of an odor sensing module whose purpose is to support people that suffer from incontinence. Because of the requirements expressed by the affected end-users the odor sensing unit is realized as a portable accessory that may be connected to any pre-existing smart device. We have opted for a low-cost, low-power consuming metal oxide based gas detection approach to highlight the viability of developing an inexpensive yet helpful odor recognition technology. The system consists of a hotplate employing, inkjet-printed p-type semiconducting layers of copper(II oxide, and chromium titanium oxide. Both functional layers are characterized with respect to their gas-sensitive behavior towards humidity, ammonia, methylmercaptan, and dimethylsulfide and we demonstrate detection limits in the parts-per-billion range for the two latter gases. Employing a temperature variation scheme that reads out the layer’s resistivity in a steady-state, we use each sensor chip as a virtual array. With this setup, we demonstrate the feasibility of detecting odors associated with incontinence.

Odor-Sensing System to Support Social Participation of People Suffering from Incontinence.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz Pérez, Alvaro; Kallfaß-de Frenes, Vera; Filbert, Alexander; Kneer, Janosch; Bierer, Benedikt; Held, Pirmin; Klein, Philipp; Wöllenstein, Jürgen; Benyoucef, Dirk; Kallfaß, Sigrid; Mescheder, Ulrich; Palzer, Stefan

2016-12-29

This manuscript describes the design considerations, implementation, and laboratory validation of an odor sensing module whose purpose is to support people that suffer from incontinence. Because of the requirements expressed by the affected end-users the odor sensing unit is realized as a portable accessory that may be connected to any pre-existing smart device. We have opted for a low-cost, low-power consuming metal oxide based gas detection approach to highlight the viability of developing an inexpensive yet helpful odor recognition technology. The system consists of a hotplate employing, inkjet-printed p-type semiconducting layers of copper(II) oxide, and chromium titanium oxide. Both functional layers are characterized with respect to their gas-sensitive behavior towards humidity, ammonia, methylmercaptan, and dimethylsulfide and we demonstrate detection limits in the parts-per-billion range for the two latter gases. Employing a temperature variation scheme that reads out the layer's resistivity in a steady-state, we use each sensor chip as a virtual array. With this setup, we demonstrate the feasibility of detecting odors associated with incontinence.

Catalytic hot gas cleaning of gasification gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simell, P. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland). Energy Production Technologies

1997-12-31

The aim of this work was to study the catalytic cleaning of gasification gas from tars and ammonia. In addition, factors influencing catalytic activity in industrial applications were studied, as well as the effects of different operation conditions and limits. Also the catalytic reactions of tar and ammonia with gasification gas components were studied. The activities of different catalyst materials were measured with laboratory-scale reactors fed by slip streams taken from updraft and fluid bed gasifiers. Carbonate rocks and nickel catalysts proved to be active tar decomposing catalysts. Ammonia decomposition was in turn facilitated by nickel catalysts and iron materials like iron sinter and iron dolomite. Temperatures over 850 deg C were required at 2000{sup -1} space velocity at ambient pressure to achieve almost complete conversions. During catalytic reactions H{sub 2} and CO were formed and H{sub 2}O was consumed in addition to decomposing hydrocarbons and ammonia. Equilibrium gas composition was almost achieved with nickel catalysts at 900 deg C. No deactivation by H{sub 2}S or carbon took place in these conditions. Catalyst blocking by particulates was avoided by using a monolith type of catalyst. The apparent first order kinetic parameters were determined for the most active materials. The activities of dolomite, nickel catalyst and reference materials were measured in different gas atmospheres using laboratory apparatus. This consisted of nitrogen carrier, toluene as tar model compound, ammonia and one of the components H{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O, CO, CO{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}+H{sub 2}O or CO+CO{sub 2}. Also synthetic gasification gas was used. With the dolomite and nickel catalyst the highest toluene decomposition rates were measured with CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O. In gasification gas, however, the rate was retarded due to inhibition by reaction products (CO, H{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}). Tar decomposition over dolomite was modelled by benzene reactions with CO{sub 2}, H

Pulsed laser ablation of silicon with low laser fluence in a low-pressure of ammonia ambient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choo, Cheow-Keong; Tohara, Makoto; Enomoto, Kazuhiro; Tanaka, Katsumi

2004-01-01

Silicon was ablated by 532 nm wavelength of Nd:YAG laser in ammonia gas ambient. The influence of laser fluence and gas ambient pressures between 1.33x10 1 to 1.33x10 -5 Pa on the deposited compound was studied by in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy techniques. The results indicate that the deposited compound is composed of nonstoichiometric silicon nitride (SiN x , x=0-0.84). It has been shown that the composition of nitrogen to silicon is sensitive to the laser fluence; it increases with decreasing laser fluence. However, the ammonia gas ambient in these low pressures range had no influence on the composition of the deposited compound. The reaction of the ablated silicon with low-pressure ambient ammonia is proposed to be occurred on the substrate

Ammonia intoxication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bessman, S.P.; Pal, N.

1982-01-01

Data is presented which shows that there is a relation between ammonia concentration in the blood and state of consciousness. The concentrations of GTP and ATP also relate both to the ammonia concentration in blood and the state of consciousness. The rate of protein synthesis in the brain as measured by the percent of intracellular counts that are incorporated into protein is also related to ammonia concentration. These findings of energy depletion and depressed synthesis resulting from energy depletion suggest that the primary lesion in ammonia intoxication involves the Krebs cycle. The greater effect of ammonia on GTP than on ATP metabolism supports the view that the primary site of action of ammonia is at the glutamate dehydrogenase-ketoglutarate reduction step - and is consistent with previous work on this subject. (H.K.)

Source Attribution of Methane Emissions in Northeastern Colorado Using Ammonia to Methane Emission Ratios

Science.gov (United States)

Eilerman, S. J.; Neuman, J. A.; Peischl, J.; Aikin, K. C.; Ryerson, T. B.; Perring, A. E.; Robinson, E. S.; Holloway, M.; Trainer, M.

2015-12-01

Due to recent advances in extraction technology, oil and natural gas extraction and processing in the Denver-Julesburg basin has increased substantially in the past decade. Northeastern Colorado is also home to over 250 concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), capable of hosting over 2 million head of ruminant livestock (cattle and sheep). Because of methane's high Global Warming Potential, quantification and attribution of methane emissions from oil and gas development and agricultural activity are important for guiding greenhouse gas emission policy. However, due to the co-location of these different sources, top-down measurements of methane are often unable to attribute emissions to a specific source or sector. In this work, we evaluate the ammonia:methane emission ratio directly downwind of CAFOs using a mobile laboratory. Several CAFOs were chosen for periodic study over a 12-month period to identify diurnal and seasonal variation in the emission ratio as well as differences due to livestock type. Using this knowledge of the agricultural ammonia:methane emission ratio, aircraft measurements of ammonia and methane over oil and gas basins in the western US during the Shale Oil and Natural Gas Nexus (SONGNEX) field campaign in March and April 2015 can be used for source attribution of methane emissions.

Synthesis, characterization and gas sensing performance of SnO2 ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Synthesis, characterization and gas sensing performance of SnO2 thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis. GANESH E PATIL, D D KAJALE, D N CHAVAN†, N K PAWAR††, P T AHIRE, S D SHINDE#,. V B GAIKWAD# and G H JAIN. ∗. Materials Research Laboratory, Arts, Commerce and Science College, Nandgaon 423 106, ...

Treatment of ammonia in waste air using packed column coupling with chemical reaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thepchai, R.

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Ammonia is a common chemical used in various industries. Emission of air contaminated with ammonia to the atmosphere without any treatment causes several effects on human health and environment.A high efficiency method for ammonia removal from waste air is then necessary. In this research, an absorption coupling with chemical reaction was investigated for ammonia removal from waste air using a packedcolumn. The packed column of 10 cm diameter and 200 cm height was packed with 1.4x1.4 cm Raschig rings. Three liquids including water, NaOCl and H2SO4 solution were used as an absorbent for the investigation.The objectives of this research were to determine a suitable absorbent and the optimum condition for ammonia removal from waste air. The packed column was operated at room temperature and atmosphericpressure. The tested conditions were as follows: the gas to liquid ratio (G:L ratio was 35-90 m3 gas/m3 liquid, the inlet concentration of ammonia was 150-500 ppm and the air flow rate was 18 m3/h. The results showedthat the ammonia removal efficiency depends on type of the absorbent and the operating condition. The efficiencies increased with decreasing of G:L ratio and with increasing absorbent concentration. They were70%, 80-92%, and 95-100% for pure water, sodium hypochlorite solution and sulphuric acid solution, respectively. The efficiency decreased with time when water was used as an absorbent while it was almostconstant when NaOCl and H2SO4 solution were applied. The ammonia removal efficiency when using H2SO4 as the absorbent was not dependent on G:L ratio and inlet ammonia concentration, in the range used in thisinvestigation. Since H2SO4 solution gave the highest removal efficiency and can reduce ammonia concentration in waste air to levels which meet the TLV-TWA standard, it is recommended as an absorbent solution forammonia removal from waste air.

Modeling reactive ammonia uptake by secondary organic aerosol in CMAQ: application to the continental US

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Zhu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Ammonium salts such as ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate constitute an important fraction of the total fine particulate matter (PM2.5 mass. While the conversion of inorganic gases into particulate-phase sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium is now well understood, there is considerable uncertainty over interactions between gas-phase ammonia and secondary organic aerosols (SOAs. Observations have confirmed that ammonia can react with carbonyl compounds in SOA, forming nitrogen-containing organic compounds (NOCs. This chemistry consumes gas-phase NH3 and may therefore affect the amount of ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate in particulate matter (PM as well as particle acidity. In order to investigate the importance of such reactions, a first-order loss rate for ammonia onto SOA was implemented into the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ model based on the ammonia uptake coefficients reported in the literature. Simulations over the continental US were performed for the winter and summer of 2011 with a range of uptake coefficients (10−3–10−5. Simulation results indicate that a significant reduction in gas-phase ammonia may be possible due to its uptake onto SOA; domain-averaged ammonia concentrations decrease by 31.3 % in the winter and 67.0 % in the summer with the highest uptake coefficient (10−3. As a result, the concentration of particulate matter is also significantly affected, with a distinct spatial pattern over different seasons. PM concentrations decreased during the winter, largely due to the reduction in ammonium nitrate concentrations. On the other hand, PM concentrations increased during the summer due to increased biogenic SOA (BIOSOA production resulting from enhanced acid-catalyzed uptake of isoprene-derived epoxides. Since ammonia emissions are expected to increase in the future, it is important to include NH3 + SOA chemistry in air quality models.

Modeling reactive ammonia uptake by secondary organic aerosol in CMAQ: application to the continental US

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Shupeng; Horne, Jeremy R.; Montoya-Aguilera, Julia; Hinks, Mallory L.; Nizkorodov, Sergey A.; Dabdub, Donald

2018-03-01

Ammonium salts such as ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate constitute an important fraction of the total fine particulate matter (PM2.5) mass. While the conversion of inorganic gases into particulate-phase sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium is now well understood, there is considerable uncertainty over interactions between gas-phase ammonia and secondary organic aerosols (SOAs). Observations have confirmed that ammonia can react with carbonyl compounds in SOA, forming nitrogen-containing organic compounds (NOCs). This chemistry consumes gas-phase NH3 and may therefore affect the amount of ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate in particulate matter (PM) as well as particle acidity. In order to investigate the importance of such reactions, a first-order loss rate for ammonia onto SOA was implemented into the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model based on the ammonia uptake coefficients reported in the literature. Simulations over the continental US were performed for the winter and summer of 2011 with a range of uptake coefficients (10-3-10-5). Simulation results indicate that a significant reduction in gas-phase ammonia may be possible due to its uptake onto SOA; domain-averaged ammonia concentrations decrease by 31.3 % in the winter and 67.0 % in the summer with the highest uptake coefficient (10-3). As a result, the concentration of particulate matter is also significantly affected, with a distinct spatial pattern over different seasons. PM concentrations decreased during the winter, largely due to the reduction in ammonium nitrate concentrations. On the other hand, PM concentrations increased during the summer due to increased biogenic SOA (BIOSOA) production resulting from enhanced acid-catalyzed uptake of isoprene-derived epoxides. Since ammonia emissions are expected to increase in the future, it is important to include NH3 + SOA chemistry in air quality models.

Photoluminescent properties of complex metal oxide nanopowders for gas sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Bovhyra, R. V.; Mudry, S. I.; Popovych, D. I.; Savka, S. S.; Serednytski, A. S.; Venhryn, Yu. I.

2018-03-01

This work carried out research on the features of photoluminescence of the mixed and complex metal oxide nanopowders (ZnO/TiO2, ZnO/SnO2, Zn2SiO4) in vacuum and gaseous ambient. The nanopowders were obtained using pulsed laser reactive technology. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy analysis for their sizes, shapes and collocation. The influence of gas environment on the photoluminescence intensity was investigated. A change of ambient gas composition leads to a rather significant change in the intensity of the photoluminescence spectrum and its deformation. The most significant changes in the photoluminescent spectrum were observed for mixed ZnO/TiO2 nanopowders. This obviously is the result of a redistribution of existing centers of luminescence and the appearance of new adsorption centers of luminescence on the surface of nanopowders. The investigated nanopowders can be effectively used as sensing materials for the construction of the multi-component photoluminescent sensing matrix.

Zinc oxide nanostructured layers for gas sensing applications

Science.gov (United States)

Caricato, A. P.; Cretí, A.; Luches, A.; Lomascolo, M.; Martino, M.; Rella, R.; Valerini, D.

2011-03-01

Various kinds of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures, such as columns, pencils, hexagonal pyramids, hexagonal hierarchical structures, as well as smooth and rough films, were grown by pulsed laser deposition using KrF and ArF excimer lasers, without use of any catalyst. ZnO films were deposited at substrate temperatures from 500 to 700°C and oxygen background pressures of 1, 5, 50, and 100 Pa. Quite different morphologies of the deposited films were observed using scanning electron microscopy when different laser wavelengths (248 or 193 nm) were used to ablate the bulk ZnO target. Photoluminescence studies were performed at different temperatures (down to 7 K). The gas sensing properties of the different nanostructures were tested against low concentrations of NO2. The variation in the photoluminescence emission of the films when exposed to NO2 was used as transduction mechanism to reveal the presence of the gas. The nanostructured films with higher surface-to-volume ratio and higher total surface available for gas adsorption presented higher responses, detecting NO2 concentrations down to 3 ppm at room temperature.

Sputtered PdO Decorated TiO2 Sensing Layer for a Hydrogen Gas Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeong Hoon Lee

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We report a sputtered PdO decorated TiO2 sensing layer by radiofrequency (RF sputtering methods and demonstrated gas sensing performance for H2 gas. We prepared sputtered anatase TiO2 sensing films with 200 nm thickness and deposited a Pd layer on top of the TiO2 films with a thickness ranging from 3 nm to 13 nm. Using an in situ TiO2/Pd multilayer annealing process at 550°C for 1 hour, we observed that Pd turns into PdO by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES depth profile and confirmed decorated PdO on TiO2 sensing layer from scanning electron microscope (SEM and atomic-force microscope (AFM. We also observed a positive sensing signal for 3, 4.5, and 6.5 nm PdO decorated TiO2 sensor while we observed negative output signal for a 13.5 nm PdO decorated one. Using a microheater platform, we acquired fast response time as ~11 sec and sensitivity as 6 μV/ppm for 3 nm PdO under 33 mW power.

Room-Temperature H2 Gas Sensing Characterization of Graphene-Doped Porous Silicon via a Facile Solution Dropping Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nu Si A. Eom

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this study, a graphene-doped porous silicon (G-doped/p-Si substrate for low ppm H2 gas detection by an inexpensive synthesis route was proposed as a potential noble graphene-based gas sensor material, and to understand the sensing mechanism. The G-doped/p-Si gas sensor was synthesized by a simple capillary force-assisted solution dropping method on p-Si substrates, whose porosity was generated through an electrochemical etching process. G-doped/p-Si was fabricated with various graphene concentrations and exploited as a H2 sensor that was operated at room temperature. The sensing mechanism of the sensor with/without graphene decoration on p-Si was proposed to elucidate the synergetic gas sensing effect that is generated from the interface between the graphene and p-type silicon.

Gas-sensing properties of SnO2-TiO2-based sensor for volatile organic compound gas and its sensing mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng Wen; Liu Tianmo

2010-01-01

We report the microstructure and gas-sensing properties of the SnO 2 -TiO 2 composite oxide dope with Ag ion prepared by the sol-gel method. Of all various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as ethanol, methanol, acetone and formaldehyde were examined, the sensor exhibits remarkable selectivity to each VOCs at different operating temperature. Further investigations based on quantum chemistry calculation show that difference orbital energy of VOCs molecule may be a qualitative factor to affect the selectivity of the sensor.

Computational study of ammonia adsorption on the perfect and rippled graphene sheet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seyed-Talebi, Seyedeh Mozhgan; Beheshtian, Javad

2013-01-01

Adsorption of an ammonia molecule onto perfect and rippled graphene is studied using molecular mechanics calculations. The most stable orientation of an ammonia molecule and equilibrium distance of this molecule over graphene surface (motivated by the recent realization of graphene sensors to detect individual gas molecules) is determined using DFT calculation. This result is in agreement with the predicted molecular mechanics calculation result. It also has been found that (i) the ammonia molecule is weakly adsorbed onto the graphene sheet; (ii) the periodic nature of the potential energy stored between ammonia and perfect graphene is altered due to the sinusoidal ripples; and (iii) the effect of amplitude and wavelength of the one-dimensional created ripple on different energy modes is reported

Computational study of ammonia adsorption on the perfect and rippled graphene sheet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seyed-Talebi, Seyedeh Mozhgan [Department of Physics, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Beheshtian, Javad, E-mail: J.Beheshtian@Srttu.edu [Department of Chemistry, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2013-11-15

Adsorption of an ammonia molecule onto perfect and rippled graphene is studied using molecular mechanics calculations. The most stable orientation of an ammonia molecule and equilibrium distance of this molecule over graphene surface (motivated by the recent realization of graphene sensors to detect individual gas molecules) is determined using DFT calculation. This result is in agreement with the predicted molecular mechanics calculation result. It also has been found that (i) the ammonia molecule is weakly adsorbed onto the graphene sheet; (ii) the periodic nature of the potential energy stored between ammonia and perfect graphene is altered due to the sinusoidal ripples; and (iii) the effect of amplitude and wavelength of the one-dimensional created ripple on different energy modes is reported.

Final Report UCLA-Thermochemical Storage with Anhydrous Ammonia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lavine, Adrienne [Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2018-02-05

In ammonia-based thermochemical energy storage (TCES), ammonia is dissociated endothermically as it absorbs solar energy during the daytime. When energy is required, the reverse reaction releases energy to heat a working fluid such as steam, to produce electricity. Ammonia-based TCES has great advantages of simplicity, low cost reactants, and a strong industrial base in the conventional ammonia industry. The concept has been demonstrated over three decades of research at Australian National University, achieving a 24-hour demonstration of a complete system. At the start of this project, three challenges were identified that would have to be addressed to show that the system is technically and economically viable for incorporation into a CSP plant with an advanced, high temperature power block. All three of these challenges have now been addressed: 1. The ammonia synthesis reaction had not, to our knowledge, been carried out at temperatures consistent with modern power blocks (i.e., ~650°C). The technical feasibility of operating a reactor under high-temperature, near-equilibrium conditions was an unknown, and was therefore a technical risk. The project has successfully demonstrated steam heating to 650°C and energy recovery to steam at the 5 kWt level. 2. The ammonia system has a relatively low enthalpy of reaction combined with gas phase reactants. This is not a direct disadvantage since the reactants themselves are low cost. The challenge lies in storing the required volume of reactants cost effectively. Therefore, a second key goal was to show, through techno-economic analysis, that underground storage technologies can be used to store the energy-rich gas at a cost that is consistent with the SunShot cost goal. We have identified two promising technologies for gas storage: storage in salt caverns has an estimated cost of 1(USD)/kWht and storage in drilled shafts could be on the order of 7(USD)/kWht. Together these two options answer the technical challenge

Ocean thermal plantships for production of ammonia as the hydrogen carrier.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panchal, C.B.; Pandolfini, P. P.; Kumm, W. H.; Energy Systems; Johns Hopkins Univ.; Arctic Energies, Ltd.

2009-12-02

Conventional petroleum, natural gas, and coal are the primary sources of energy that have underpinned modern civilization. Their continued availability in the projected quantities required and the impacts of emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) on the environment are issues at the forefront of world concerns. New primary sources of energy are being sought that would significantly reduce the emissions of GHGs. One such primary source that can help supply energy, water, and fertilizer without GHG emissions is available in the heretofore unexploited thermal gradients of the tropical oceans. The world's oceans are the largest natural collector and reservoir of solar energy. The potential of ocean energy is limitless for producing base-load electric power or ammonia as the hydrogen carrier and fresh water from seawater. However, until now, ocean energy has been virtually untapped. The general perception is that ocean thermal energy is limited to tropical countries. Therefore, the full potential of at-sea production of (1) ammonia as a hydrogen carrier and (2) desalinated water has not been adequately evaluated. Using ocean thermal plantships for the at-sea co-production of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier and desalinated water offer potential energy, environmental, and economic benefits that support the development of the technology. The introduction of a new widespread solution to our projected energy supply requires lead times of a decade or more. Although continuation of the ocean thermal program from the 1970s would likely have put us in a mitigating position in the early 2000s, we still have a window of opportunity to dedicate some of our conventional energy sources to the development of this renewable energy by the time new sources would be critically needed. The primary objective of this project is to evaluate the technical and economic viability of ocean thermal plantships for the production of ammonia as the hydrogen carrier. This objective is achieved by

Silica Gel Coated Spherical Micro resonator for Ultra-High Sensitivity Detection of Ammonia Gas Concentration in Air.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallik, Arun Kumar; Farrell, Gerald; Liu, Dejun; Kavungal, Vishnu; Wu, Qiang; Semenova, Yuliya

2018-01-26

A silica gel coated microsphere resonator is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for measurements of ammonia (NH 3 ) concentration in air with ultra-high sensitivity. The optical properties of the porous silica gel layer change when it is exposed to low (parts per million (ppm)) and even ultra-low (parts per billion (ppb)) concentrations of ammonia vapor, leading to a spectral shift of the WGM resonances in the transmission spectrum of the fiber taper. The experimentally demonstrated sensitivity of the proposed sensor to ammonia is estimated as 34.46 pm/ppm in the low ammonia concentrations range from 4 ppm to 30 ppm using an optical spectrum analyser (OSA), and as 800 pm/ppm in the ultra-low range of ammonia concentrations from 2.5 ppb to 12 ppb using the frequency detuning method, resulting in the lowest detection limit (by two orders of magnitude) reported to date equal to 0.16 ppb of ammonia in air. In addition, the sensor exhibits excellent selectivity to ammonia and very fast response and recovery times measured at 1.5 and 3.6 seconds, respectively. Other attractive features of the proposed sensor are its compact nature, simplicity of fabrication.

MOFs for the Sensitive Detection of Ammonia: Deployment of fcu-MOF Thin-Films as Effective Chemical Capacitive Sensors.

KAUST Repository

Assen, Ayalew Hussen Assen; Yassine, Omar; Shekhah, Osama; Eddaoudi, Mohamed; Salama, Khaled N.

2017-01-01

This work reports on the fabrication and deployment of a select metal-organic framework (MOF) thin film as an advanced chemical capacitive sensor for the sensing/detection of ammonia (NH3) at room temperature. Namely, the MOF thin film sensing layer

Mid-Infrared Interferometry on Spectral Lines. III. Ammonia and Silane around IRC +10216 and VY Canis Majoris

Science.gov (United States)

Monnier, J. D.; Danchi, W. C.; Hale, D. S.; Tuthill, P. G.; Townes, C. H.

2000-11-01

Using the University of California Berkeley Infrared Spatial Interferometer with a radio frequency (RF) filter bank, the first interferometric observations of mid-infrared molecular absorption features of ammonia (NH3) and silane (SiH4) with very high spectral resolution (λ/Δλ~105) were made. Under the assumptions of spherical symmetry and uniform outflow, these new data permitted the molecular stratification around carbon star IRC +10216 and red supergiant VY CMa to be investigated. For IRC +10216, both ammonia and silane were found to form in the dusty outflow significantly beyond both the dust formation and gas acceleration zones. Specifically, ammonia was found to form before silane in a region of decaying gas turbulence (>~20R*), while the silane is produced in a region of relatively smooth gas flow much farther from the star (>~80R*). The depletion of gas-phase SiS onto grains soon after dust formation may fuel silane-producing reactions on the grain surfaces. For VY CMa, a combination of interferometric and spectral observations suggest that NH3 is forming near the termination of the gas acceleration phase in a region of high gas turbulence (~40R*).

Coupling Solid Oxide Electrolyser (SOE) and ammonia production plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cinti, Giovanni; Frattini, Domenico; Jannelli, Elio; Desideri, Umberto; Bidini, Gianni

2017-01-01

Highlights: • An innovative NH 3 production plant was designed. • CO 2 emissions and energy consumption are studied in three different designs. • High temperature electrolysis allows to achieve high efficiency and heat recovery. • The coupling permits storage of electricity into a liquid carbon free chemical. - Abstract: Ammonia is one of the most produced chemicals worldwide and is currently synthesized using nitrogen separated from air and hydrogen from natural gas reforming with consequent high consumption of fossil fuel and high emission of CO 2 . A renewable path for ammonia production is desirable considering the potential development of ammonia as energy carrier. This study reports design and analysis of an innovative system for the production of green ammonia using electricity from renewable energy sources. This concept couples Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOE), for the production of hydrogen, with an improved Haber Bosch Reactor (HBR), for ammonia synthesis. An air separator is also introduced to supply pure nitrogen. SOE operates with extremely high efficiency recovering high temperature heat from the Haber-Bosch reactor. Aspen was used to develop a model to study the performance of the plant. Both the SOE and the HBR operate at 650 °C. Ammonia production with zero emission of CO 2 can be obtained with a reduction of 40% of power input compared to equivalent plants.

Improvement of activated carbons as oxygen reduction catalysts in neutral solutions by ammonia gas treatment and their performance in microbial fuel cells

KAUST Repository

Watson, Valerie J.

2013-11-01

Commercially available activated carbon (AC) powders from different precursor materials (peat, coconut shell, coal, and hardwood) were treated with ammonia gas at 700 C to improve their performance as oxygen reduction catalysts in neutral pH solutions used in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). The ammonia treated ACs exhibited better catalytic performance in rotating ring-disk electrode tests than their untreated precursors, with the bituminous based AC most improved, with an onset potential of Eonset = 0.12 V (untreated, Eonset = 0.08 V) and n = 3.9 electrons transferred in oxygen reduction (untreated, n = 3.6), and the hardwood based AC (treated, E onset = 0.03 V, n = 3.3; untreated, Eonset = -0.04 V, n = 3.0). Ammonia treatment decreased oxygen content by 29-58%, increased nitrogen content to 1.8 atomic %, and increased the basicity of the bituminous, peat, and hardwood ACs. The treated coal based AC cathodes had higher maximum power densities in MFCs (2450 ± 40 mW m-2) than the other AC cathodes or a Pt/C cathode (2100 ± 1 mW m-2). These results show that reduced oxygen abundance and increased nitrogen functionalities on the AC surface can increase catalytic performance for oxygen reduction in neutral media. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of a gas sensor array with micro-wells for VOCs gas sensing based on polymer/carbon nanotube thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Guangzhong; Xie, Tao; Zhu, Tao; Jiang, Yadong; Tai, Huiling

2014-08-01

In this paper, gas sensor array with micro-well was designed and prepared by Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology. The micro-well and interdigital electrodes of sensor array were prepared using photolithography process, reactive ion etching (RIE) process, wet etching and conventional vacuum evaporation. In the manufacture process of the gas sensor array, KOH wet etching process was mainly discussed. The optimum etching processing parameters were as follows: 30 wt% KOH solution at 80 °C, a cooling back-flow device and a magnetic stirrer. The multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-polyethyleneoxide (PEO) and MWNTs-Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) composite films were utilized as sensitive layers to test gas-sensing properties. Response performances of MWCNTs- PEO and MWNTs-PVP composite films to toluene vapor and methanol vapor at room temperature were investigated. The results revealed that the sensor array showed a larger sensitivity to toluene vapor than to methanol vapor. In addition, the sensing mechanisms were studied as well.

SOIL NITROUS OXIDE, NITRIC OXIDE, AND AMMONIA EMISSIONS FROM A RECOVERING RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEM IN SOUTHERN APPALACHIA

Science.gov (United States)

The paper presents two years of seasonal nitric oxide, ammonia, and nitrous oxide trace gas fluxes measured in a recovering riparian zone with cattle excluded and in an adjacent riparian zone grazed by cattle. In the recovering riparian zone, average nitric oxide, ammonia, and ni...

Gas sensing with gold-decorated vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Mudimela, Prasantha R; Scardamaglia, Mattia; González-León, Oriol; Reckinger, Nicolas; Snyders, Rony; Llobet, Eduard; Bittencourt, Carla; Colomer, Jean-François

2014-01-01

Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes of different lengths (150, 300, 500 µm) synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition and decorated with gold nanoparticles were investigated as gas sensitive materials for detecting nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at room temperature. Gold nanoparticles of about 6 nm in diameter were sputtered on the top surface of the carbon nanotube forests to enhance the sensitivity to the pollutant gas. We showed that the sensing response to nitrogen dioxide depends on the nanotube length. The optimum was found to be 300 µm for getting the higher response. When the background humidity level was changed from dry to 50% relative humidity, an increase in the response to NO2 was observed for all the sensors, regardless of the nanotube length.

Gas sensing with gold-decorated vertically aligned carbon nanotubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prasantha R. Mudimela

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes of different lengths (150, 300, 500 µm synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition and decorated with gold nanoparticles were investigated as gas sensitive materials for detecting nitrogen dioxide (NO2 at room temperature. Gold nanoparticles of about 6 nm in diameter were sputtered on the top surface of the carbon nanotube forests to enhance the sensitivity to the pollutant gas. We showed that the sensing response to nitrogen dioxide depends on the nanotube length. The optimum was found to be 300 µm for getting the higher response. When the background humidity level was changed from dry to 50% relative humidity, an increase in the response to NO2 was observed for all the sensors, regardless of the nanotube length.

Screen-printed Tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films for NH3 gas sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mbarek, Hedia; Saadoun, Moncef; Bessais, Brahim

2006-01-01

Gas sensors using metal oxides have several advantageous features such as simplicity in device structure and low cost fabrication. In this work, Tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films were prepared by the screen printing technique onto glass substrates. The granular and porous structure of screen-printed ITO are suitable for its use in gas sensing devices. The resistance of the ITO films was found to be strongly dependent on working temperatures and the nature and concentration of the ambient gases. We show that screen-printed ITO films have good sensing properties toward NH 3 vapours. The observed behaviors are explained basing on the oxidizing or the reducer nature of the gaseous species that react on the surface of the heated semi-conducting oxide

Ammonia gas sensors based on In2O3/PANI hetero-nanofibers operating at room temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingxin Nie

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Indium nitrate/polyvinyl pyrrolidone (In(NO33/PVP composite nanofibers were synthesized via electrospinning, and then hollow structure indium oxide (In2O3 nanofibers were obtained through calcination with PVP as template material. In situ polymerization was used to prepare indium oxide/polyaniline (In2O3/PANI composite nanofibers with different mass ratios of In2O3 to aniline. The structure and morphology of In(NO33/PVP, In2O3/PANI composite nanofibers and pure PANI were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, X-ray diffraction (XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM and current–voltage (I–V measurements. The gas sensing properties of these materials towards NH3 vapor (100 to 1000 ppm were measured at room temperature. The results revealed that the gas sensing abilities of In2O3/PANI composite nanofibers were better than pure PANI. In addition, the mass ratio of In2O3 to aniline and the p–n heterostructure between In2O3 and PANI influences the sensing performance of the In2O3/PANI composite nanofibers. In this paper, In2O3/PANI composite nanofibers with a mass ratio of 1:2 exhibited the highest response values, excellent selectivity, good repeatability and reversibility.

Synthesis of fertilizers nitrogen and 15N-enriched. Pt. I. Production of enriched 15N-anhydrous ammonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bendassolli, J.A.; Mortatti, J.; Trivelin, P.C.O.; Victoria, R.L.

1988-01-01

The results of 15 N-anhydrous ammonia production through reaction between 15 N-enriched ammonium sulphate and sodium hidroxide are reported. Influence of the reaction temperature, carrier gas flow, reaction time and mass of ammonium sulphate on the production of anhydrous ammonia were studied. Analyses for the cost of production of 5% atoms in 15 N-enriched anhydrous ammonia were made. (M.A.C.) [pt

Temperature dependence of gas sensing behaviour of TiO2 doped PANI composite thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Subodh; Sharma, S. S.; Sharma, Preetam; Sharma, Vinay; Rajura, Rajveer Singh; Singh, M.; Vijay, Y. K.

2014-04-01

In the present work we have reported the effect of temperature on the gas sensing properties of TiO2 doped PANI composite thin film based chemiresistor type gas sensors for hydrogen gas sensing application. PANI and TiO2 doped PANI composite were synthesized by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline at low temperature. The electrical properties of these composite thin films were characterized by I-V measurements as function of temperature. The I-V measurement revealed that conductivity of composite thin films increased as the temperature increased. The changes in resistance of the composite thin film sensor were utilized for detection of hydrogen gas. It was observed that at room temperature TiO2 doped PANI composite sensor shows higher response value and showed unstable behavior as the temperature increased. The surface morphology of these composite thin films has also been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurement.

Toward high value sensing: monolayer-protected metal nanoparticles in multivariable gas and vapor sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Potyrailo, Radislav A

2017-08-29

For detection of gases and vapors in complex backgrounds, "classic" analytical instruments are an unavoidable alternative to existing sensors. Recently a new generation of sensors, known as multivariable sensors, emerged with a fundamentally different perspective for sensing to eliminate limitations of existing sensors. In multivariable sensors, a sensing material is designed to have diverse responses to different gases and vapors and is coupled to a multivariable transducer that provides independent outputs to recognize these diverse responses. Data analytics tools provide rejection of interferences and multi-analyte quantitation. This review critically analyses advances of multivariable sensors based on ligand-functionalized metal nanoparticles also known as monolayer-protected nanoparticles (MPNs). These MPN sensing materials distinctively stand out from other sensing materials for multivariable sensors due to their diversity of gas- and vapor-response mechanisms as provided by organic and biological ligands, applicability of these sensing materials for broad classes of gas-phase compounds such as condensable vapors and non-condensable gases, and for several principles of signal transduction in multivariable sensors that result in non-resonant and resonant electrical sensors as well as material- and structure-based photonic sensors. Such features should allow MPN multivariable sensors to be an attractive high value addition to existing analytical instrumentation.

Ammonia Monitor

Science.gov (United States)

Sauer, Richard L. (Inventor); Akse, James R. (Inventor); Thompson, John O. (Inventor); Atwater, James E. (Inventor)

1999-01-01

Ammonia monitor and method of use are disclosed. A continuous, real-time determination of the concentration of ammonia in an aqueous process stream is possible over a wide dynamic range of concentrations. No reagents are required because pH is controlled by an in-line solid-phase base. Ammonia is selectively transported across a membrane from the process stream to an analytical stream to an analytical stream under pH control. The specific electrical conductance of the analytical stream is measured and used to determine the concentration of ammonia.

A Zinc Oxide Nanorod Ammonia Microsensor Integrated with a Readout Circuit on-a-Chip

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chyan-Chyi Wu

2011-11-01

Full Text Available A zinc oxide nanorod ammonia microsensor integrated with a readout circuit on-a-chip fabricated using the commercial 0.35 mm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS process was investigated. The structure of the ammonia sensor is composed of a sensitive film and polysilicon electrodes. The ammonia sensor requires a post-process to etch the sacrificial layer, and to coat the sensitive film on the polysilicon electrodes. The sensitive film that is prepared by a hydrothermal method is made of zinc oxide. The sensor resistance changes when the sensitive film adsorbs or desorbs ammonia gas. The readout circuit is used to convert the sensor resistance into the voltage output. Experiments show that the ammonia sensor has a sensitivity of about 1.5 mV/ppm at room temperature.

What metrology can do to improve the quality of your atmospheric ammonia measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Leuenberger, Daiana; Martin, Nicholas A.; Pascale, Céline; Guillevic, Myriam; Ackermann, Andreas; Ferracci, Valerio; Cassidy, Nathan; Hook, Josh; Battersby, Ross M.; Tang, Yuk S.; Stevens, Amy C. M.; Jones, Matthew R.; Braban, Christine F.; Gates, Linda; Hangartner, Markus; Sacco, Paolo; Pagani, Diego; Hoffnagle, John A.; Niederhauser, Bernhard

2017-04-01

Measuring ammonia in ambient air is a sensitive and priority issue due to its harmful effects on human health and ecosystems. The European Directive 2001/81/EC on "National Emission Ceilings for Certain Atmospheric Pollutants (NEC)" regulates ammonia emissions in the member states. However, there is a lack of regulation to ensure reliable ammonia measurements, namely in applicable analytical technology, maximum allowed uncertainty, quality assurance and quality control (QC/QA) procedures, as well as in the infrastructure to attain metrological traceability, i.e. that the results of measurements are traceable to SI-units through an unbroken chain of calibrations. In the framework of the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP) project on the topic "Metrology for Ammonia in Ambient Air" (MetNH3), European national metrology institutes (NMI's) have joined to tackle the issue of generating SI-traceable reference material, i.e. generate reference gas mixtures containing known amount fractions of NH3.This requires special infrastructure and analytical techniques: Measurements of ambient ammonia are commonly carried out with diffusive samplers or by active sampling with denuders, but such techniques have not yet been extensively validated. Improvements in the metrological traceability may be achieved through the determination of NH3 diffusive sampling rates using ammonia Primary Standard Gas Mixtures (PSMs), developed by gravimetry at the National Physical Laboratory NPL and a controlled atmosphere test facility in combination with on-line monitoring with a cavity ring-down spectrometer. The Federal Institute of Metrology METAS has developed an infrastructure to generate SI-traceable NH3 reference gas mixtures dynamically in the amount fraction range 0.5-500 nmol/mol (atmospheric concentrations) and with uncertainties UNH3 mobile device for full flexibility for calibrations in the laboratory and in the field. Both devices apply the method of temperature and pressure

Highly Sensitive Nanostructured SnO2 Thin Films For Hydrogen Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, L. A.; Shinde, M. D.; Bari, A. R.; Deo, V. V.

2010-10-01

Nanostructured SnO2 thin films were prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique. Aqueous solution (0.05 M) of SnCl4ṡ5H2O in double distilled water was chosen as the starting solution for the preparation of the films. The stock solution was delivered to nozzle with constant and uniform flow rate of 70 ml/h by Syringe pump SK5001. Sono-tek spray nozzle, driven by ultrasonic frequency of 120 kHz, converts the solution into fine spray. The aerosol produced by nozzle was sprayed on glass substrate heated at 150 °C. The sensing performance of the films was tested for various gases such as LPG, hydrogen, ethanol, carbon dioxide and ammonia. The sensor (30 min) showed high gas response (S = 3040 at 350 °C) on exposure of 1000 ppm of hydrogen and high selectivity against other gases. Its response time was short (2 s) and recovery was also fast (12 s). To understand reasons behind this uncommon gas sensing performance of the films, their structural, microstructural, and optical properties were studied using X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) respectively. The results are interpreted

Photo-EMF Sensitivity of Porous Silicon Thin Layer–Crystalline Silicon Heterojunction to Ammonia Adsorption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kae Dal Kwack

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A new method of using photo-electromotive force in detecting gas and controlling sensitivity is proposed. Photo-electromotive force on the heterojunction between porous silicon thin layer and crystalline silicon wafer depends on the concentration of ammonia in the measurement chamber. A porous silicon thin layer was formed by electrochemical etching on p-type silicon wafer. A gas and light transparent electrical contact was manufactured to this porous layer. Photo-EMF sensitivity corresponding to ammonia concentration in the range from 10 ppm to 1,000 ppm can be maximized by controlling the intensity of illumination light.

Photo-EMF sensitivity of porous silicon thin layer-crystalline silicon heterojunction to ammonia adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Vashpanov, Yuriy; Jung, Jae Il; Kwack, Kae Dal

2011-01-01

A new method of using photo-electromotive force in detecting gas and controlling sensitivity is proposed. Photo-electromotive force on the heterojunction between porous silicon thin layer and crystalline silicon wafer depends on the concentration of ammonia in the measurement chamber. A porous silicon thin layer was formed by electrochemical etching on p-type silicon wafer. A gas and light transparent electrical contact was manufactured to this porous layer. Photo-EMF sensitivity corresponding to ammonia concentration in the range from 10 ppm to 1,000 ppm can be maximized by controlling the intensity of illumination light.

Photo-EMF Sensitivity of Porous Silicon Thin Layer–Crystalline Silicon Heterojunction to Ammonia Adsorption

Science.gov (United States)

Vashpanov, Yuriy; Jung, Jae Il; Kwack, Kae Dal

2011-01-01

A new method of using photo-electromotive force in detecting gas and controlling sensitivity is proposed. Photo-electromotive force on the heterojunction between porous silicon thin layer and crystalline silicon wafer depends on the concentration of ammonia in the measurement chamber. A porous silicon thin layer was formed by electrochemical etching on p-type silicon wafer. A gas and light transparent electrical contact was manufactured to this porous layer. Photo-EMF sensitivity corresponding to ammonia concentration in the range from 10 ppm to 1,000 ppm can be maximized by controlling the intensity of illumination light. PMID:22319353

Antibody-integrated and functionalized graphite-encapsulated magnetic beads, produced using ammonia gas plasma technology, for capturing Salmonella.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakudo, Akikazu; Chou, Han; Nagatsu, Masaaki

2015-03-01

Salmonella spp. is the single and most important causative agent of foodborne infections, especially involving foods such as eggs, milk and meat. To prevent infection, a reliable surveillance system is required that can quickly and sensitively detect Salmonella. Here, we describe the development of antibody-integrated magnetic beads that are functionalized by a novel strategy using ammonia gas plasma. Ammonia plasma, produced by a radio frequency (RF) power supply, was allowed to react with the surface of graphite-encapsulated magnetic beads, resulting in the introduction of amino groups. An anti-Salmonella antibody was then anchored by sulfide groups present on the protein surface to the amino groups of the magnetic beads via N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate (SPDP). The potential usefulness of these magnetic beads for capturing Salmonella was examined as follows. The beads were incubated with Salmonella in liquid medium and then separated from the supernatant by applying a magnetic field. After thorough washing, adsorption of Salmonella to the beads was confirmed by immunochromatography, polymerase chain reaction and a direct culture assay. Our findings indicate that the capture and concentration of Salmonella using the antibody-integrated magnetic beads was more efficient than commercial Dynabeads® anti-Salmonella, which are conventionally used for concentrating Salmonella from liquid cultures. We believe this novel bead technology will contribute to the enhanced detection of Salmonella. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clad modified optical fiber gas sensors based on nanocrystalline nickel oxide embedded coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Yamini, K.; Renganathan, B.; Ganesan, A. R.; Prakash, T.

2017-07-01

A clad modified optical fiber gas sensor for sensing volatile organic compound vapours (VOCs) such as formaldehyde (HCHO), ammonia (NH3), ethanol (C2H5OH) and methanol (CH3OH) up to 500 ppm was studied using nanocrystalline nickel oxide embedded coatings. Prior to the measurements, nickel oxide in two different crystallite sizes such as 24 nm and 76 nm was synthesized by calcination of reverse precipitated nickel hydroxide subsequently at 450 °C and 900 °C for 30 min. Then, samples physical properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Our gas sensing measurement concludes that the lower crystallite size (24 nm) nickel oxide nanocrystals exhibits superior performance to formaldehyde and ethanol vapours as compared with other two VOCs, the observed experimental results were discussed in detail.

Synthesis and integration of one-dimensional nanostructures for chemical gas sensing applications

Science.gov (United States)

Parthangal, Prahalad Madhavan

The need for improved measurement technology for the detection and monitoring of gases has increased tremendously for maintenance of domestic and industrial health and safety, environmental surveys, national security, food-processing, medical diagnostics and various other industrial applications. Among the several varieties of gas sensors available in the market, solid-state sensors are the most popular owing to their excellent sensitivity, ruggedness, versatility and low cost. Semiconducting metal oxides such as tin oxide (SnO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), and tungsten oxide (WO3) are routinely employed as active materials in these sensors. Since their performance is directly linked to the exposed surface area of the sensing material, one-dimensional nanostructures possessing very high surface to volume ratios are attractive candidates for designing the next generation of sensors. Such nano-sensors also enable miniaturization thereby reducing power consumption. The key to achieve success in one-dimensional nanotechnologies lies in assembly. While synthesis techniques and capabilities continue to expand rapidly, progress in controlled assembly has been sluggish due to numerous technical challenges. In this doctoral thesis work, synthesis and characterization of various one-dimensional nanostructures including nanotubes of SnO2, and nanowires of WO3 and ZnO, as well as their direct integration into miniature sensor platforms called microhotplates have been demonstrated. The key highlights of this research include devising elegant strategies for growing metal oxide nanotubes using carbon nanotubes as templates, substantially reducing process temperatures to enable growth of WO3 nanowires on microhotplates, and successfully fabricating a ZnO nanowire array based sensor using a hybrid nanowire-nanoparticle assembly approach. In every process, the gas-sensing properties of one-dimensional nanostructures were observed to be far superior in comparison with thin films of the same

Nanoscale Metal Oxide Semiconductors for Gas Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Gary W.; Evans, Laura; Xu, Jennifer C.; VanderWal, Randy L.; Berger, Gordon M.; Kulis, Michael J.

2011-01-01

A report describes the fabrication and testing of nanoscale metal oxide semiconductors (MOSs) for gas and chemical sensing. This document examines the relationship between processing approaches and resulting sensor behavior. This is a core question related to a range of applications of nanotechnology and a number of different synthesis methods are discussed: thermal evaporation- condensation (TEC), controlled oxidation, and electrospinning. Advantages and limitations of each technique are listed, providing a processing overview to developers of nanotechnology- based systems. The results of a significant amount of testing and comparison are also described. A comparison is made between SnO2, ZnO, and TiO2 single-crystal nanowires and SnO2 polycrystalline nanofibers for gas sensing. The TECsynthesized single-crystal nanowires offer uniform crystal surfaces, resistance to sintering, and their synthesis may be done apart from the substrate. The TECproduced nanowire response is very low, even at the operating temperature of 200 C. In contrast, the electrospun polycrystalline nanofiber response is high, suggesting that junction potentials are superior to a continuous surface depletion layer as a transduction mechanism for chemisorption. Using a catalyst deposited upon the surface in the form of nanoparticles yields dramatic gains in sensitivity for both nanostructured, one-dimensional forms. For the nanowire materials, the response magnitude and response rate uniformly increase with increasing operating temperature. Such changes are interpreted in terms of accelerated surface diffusional processes, yielding greater access to chemisorbed oxygen species and faster dissociative chemisorption, respectively. Regardless of operating temperature, sensitivity of the nanofibers is a factor of 10 to 100 greater than that of nanowires with the same catalyst for the same test condition. In summary, nanostructure appears critical to governing the reactivity, as measured by electrical

Sensing using rare-earth-doped upconversion nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Shuwei; Chen, Guanying; Yang, Chunhui

2013-01-01

Optical sensing plays an important role in theranostics due to its capability to detect hint biochemical entities or molecular targets as well as to precisely monitor specific fundamental psychological processes. Rare-earth (RE) doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are promising for these endeavors due to their unique frequency converting capability; they emit efficient and sharp visible or ultraviolet (UV) luminescence via use of ladder-like energy levels of RE ions when excited at near infrared (NIR) light that are silent to tissues. These features allow not only a high penetration depth in biological tissues but also a high detection sensitivity. Indeed, the energy transfer between UCNPs and biomolecular or chemical indicators provide opportunities for high-sensitive bio- and chemical-sensing. A temperature-sensitive change of the intensity ratio between two close UC bands promises them for use in temperature mapping of a single living cell. In this work, we review recent investigations on using UCNPs for the detection of biomolecules (avidin, ATP, etc.), ions (cyanide, mecury, etc.), small gas molecules (oxygen, carbon dioxide, ammonia, etc.), as well as for in vitro temperature sensing. We also briefly summarize chemical methods in synthesizing UCNPs of high efficiency that are important for the detection limit.

Co-Adsorption of Ammonia and Formaldehyde on Regenerable Carbon Sorbents for the Primary Life Support System (PLSS)

Science.gov (United States)

Wojtowicz, Marek A.; Cosgrove, Joseph E.; Serio, Michael A.; Wilburn, Monique S.

2016-01-01

Results are presented on the development of a reversible carbon sorbent for trace-contaminant (TC) removal for use in Extravehicular Activities (EVAs), and more specifically in the Primary Life Support System (PLSS). The current TC-control technology involves the use of a packed bed of acid-impregnated granular charcoal, which is deemed non-regenerable, while the carbon-based sorbent under development in this project can be regenerated by exposure to vacuum at room temperature. Data on concurrent sorption and desorption of ammonia and formaldehyde, which are major TCs of concern, are presented in this paper. A carbon sorbent was fabricated by dry impregnation of a reticulated carbon-foam support with polyvinylidene chloride, followed by carbonization and thermal oxidation in air. Sorbent performance was tested for ammonia and formaldehyde sorption and vacuum regeneration, with and without water present in the gas stream. It was found that humidity in the gas phase enhanced ammonia-sorption capacity by a factor larger than two. Co-adsorption of ammonia and formaldehyde in the presence of water resulted in strong formaldehyde sorption (to the point that it was difficult to saturate the sorbent on the time scales used in this study). In the absence of humidity, adsorption of formaldehyde on the carbon surface was found to impair ammonia sorption in subsequent runs; in the presence of water, however, both ammonia and formaldehyde could be efficiently removed from the gas phase by the sorbent. The efficiency of vacuum regeneration could be enhanced by gentle heating to temperatures below 60 deg.

The Effect of Zeolite Composition and Grain Size on Gas Sensing Properties of SnO2/Zeolite Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanhui Sun

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In order to improve the sensing properties of tin dioxide gas sensor, four kinds of different SiO2/Al2O3 ratio, different particle size of MFI type zeolites (ZSM-5 were coated on the SnO2 to prepared zeolite modified gas sensors, and the gas sensing properties were tested. The measurement results showed that the response values of ZSM-5 zeolite (SiO2/Al2O3 = 70, grain size 300 nm coated SnO2 gas sensors to formaldehyde vapor were increased, and the response to acetone decreased compared with that of SnO2 gas sensor, indicating an improved selectivity property. The other three ZSM-5 zeolites with SiO2/Al2O3 70, 150 and 470, respectively, and grain sizes all around 1 μm coated SnO2 sensors did not show much difference with SnO2 sensor for the response properties to both formaldehyde and acetone. The sensing mechanism of ZSM-5 modified sensors was briefly analyzed.

Advanced Heat Exchanger for Combustion/Gasification Task 3; Development of Ammonia Removal Options

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berg, Magnus; Espenaes, Bengt-Goeran [TPS Termiska Processer AB, Studsvik (Sweden)

2003-03-01

The report contains two parts. The first part is a review on the different ammonia removal options that can be considered in gasification of solid fuels. Issues discussed are the formation of nitrogen compounds in the gasifier and measures that can be taken to reduce the formation of such compounds, gas cleaning options at high temperature, low temperature cleaning and low NO{sub x} combustion in turbine applications. The second part presents experimental work on the kinetics of decomposition of ammonia by two nickel catalysts in a simulated fuel gas. The conditions used for the most thoroughly investigated catalyst included concentrations of H{sub 2}S from 22 ppm to 800 ppm, temperature from 76 deg C to 950 deg C, and total pressure at 1, 4 and 20 bar. The influence from H{sub 2}S on the reaction rate of ammonia at atmospheric pressure was found to be qualitatively different at low and at high concentrations of sulphur. The activity decreased at increase of the H{sub 2}S concentration up to about 200 ppm. A minimum of activity was obtained at about 200-300 ppm H{sub 2}S, and the activity increased again at further increase of the H{sub 2}S content. A more detailed investigation was performed for the low concentration range up to about 200 ppm at 1 and at 4 bar. The deactivation by H{sub 2}S is only partly reversible, and the activity that is attained when H{sub 2}S is removed depends strongly on which maximum concentration the catalyst has been exposed to. The nickel catalyst was found to convert ammonia in a raw fuel gas containing about 70 ppm H{sub 2}S at nearly the same rate as would be expected from the experimental data for the synthetic gas mixtures. Thus, there is not any important retarding effect from competition with the reactions that convert tar components and hydrocarbons simultaneously. The reaction rate of NH{sub 3} was compared to the reaction rate of methane found in a previous work, using the same catalyst. It was concluded that the size of a

Green synthesis of biopolymer-silver nanoparticle nanocomposite: an optical sensor for ammonia detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandey, Sadanand; Goswami, Gopal K; Nanda, Karuna K

2012-11-01

Biopolymer used for the production of nanoparticles (NPs) has attracted increasing attention. In the presence article we use aqueous solution of polysaccharide Cyamopsis tetragonaloba commonly known as guar gum (GG), from plants. GG acts as reductive preparation of silver nanoparticles which are found to be powder X-ray diffraction technique. Aqueous ammonia sensing study of polymer/silver nanoparticles nanocomposite (GG/AgNPs NC) was performed by optical method based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The performances of optical sensor were investigated which provide the excellent result. The response time of 2-3 s and the detection limit of ammonia solution, 1 ppm were found at room temperature. Thus, in future this room temperature optical ammonia sensor can be used for clinical and medical diagnosis for detecting low ammonia level in biological fluids, such as plasma, sweat, saliva, cerebrospinal liquid or biological samples in general for various biomedical applications in human. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Carboxymethylguargum-silver nanocomposite: green synthesis, characterization and an optical sensor for ammonia detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Anek Pal; Verma, Devendra Kumar

2014-01-01

This work describes the preparation of new carboxymethyl guar gum-silver nanocomposite (CMGG/Ag NC) by green synthesis method. For this carboxymethyl guar gum was used as a reducing agent as well as stabilizer. The silver nanoparticles obtained were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX). The average size of the silver nanoparticles was found of ∼6 nm. Thus, the obtained CMGG/AgNPs NC was examined for optical sensing property for detection of ammonia in aqueous medium. The response time and the detection limit of ammonia in aqueous solution were detected at room temperature. It was concluded that in the future, at this room temperature optical ammonia sensor may be used for medical diagnosis and clinically for detecting low ammonia level (up to 1 ppm) in biological samples for various biomedical applications. (paper)

Investigation of Electrical, Optical and GaS Sensing properties Sol-Gel Derived WO3 Thin Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumludag, F.

2008-01-01

Tungsten oxide (WO 3 ) is a wide band gap n-type semiconductor. Thin films of WO 3 are considerable interest because of their potential applications in electrochromic devices, and gas sensors. In this work, WO 3 thin films were deposited on IDT (Interdigital electrodes) by a sol-gel dipping process. Precursor solution was prepared by dissolving of tungstic acid in ammonia. We investigated d.c. and a.c. (40 Hz-100 KHz) electrical properties of the films in the temperature range of 293K and 473K in vacuum ambient (10 - 2 mbar). We observed frequency dependent conductivity behavior at high frequencies. Absorption spectra of the film showed that a maximum absorption occurred at 330 nm. We also investigated the response of the films to vapors of the volatile organic compounds (acetone, chloroform, toluene, ethanol, ammonia) and water vapor. The films showed no sensitivity to the test gases at room temperature. Concentration of the vapors were controlled by mass flowmeters. All the measurement system was computerized

Selectivity of Catalytically Modified Tin Dioxide to CO and NH3 Gas Mixtures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Artem Marikutsa

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This paper is aimed at selectivity investigation of gas sensors, based on chemically modified nanocrystalline tin dioxide in the detection of CO and ammonia mixtures in air. Sol-gel prepared tin dioxide was modified by palladium and ruthenium oxides clusters via an impregnation technique. Sensing behavior to CO, NH3 and their mixtures in air was studied by in situ resistance measurements. Using the appropriate match of operating temperatures, it was shown that the reducing gases mixed in a ppm-level with air could be discriminated by the noble metal oxide-modified SnO2. Introducing palladium oxide provided high CO-sensitivity at 25–50 °C. Tin dioxide modified by ruthenium oxide demonstrated increased sensor signals to ammonia at 150–200 °C, and selectivity to NH3 in presence of higher CO concentrations.

Hierarchical porous ZnO microflowers with ultra-high ethanol gas-sensing at low concentration

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Liming; Yue, He; Li, Haiying; Liu, Li; Li, Yu; Du, Liting; Duan, Haojie; Klyui, N. I.

2018-05-01

Hierarchical porous and non-porous ZnO microflowers have been successfully fabricated by hydrothermal method. Their crystal structure, morphology and gas-sensing properties were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and chemical gas sensing intelligent analysis system (CGS). Compared with hierarchical non-porous ZnO microflowers, hierarchical porous ZnO microflowers exhibited ultra-high sensitivity with 50 ppm ethanol at 260 °C and the response is 110, which is 1.8 times higher than that of non-porous ZnO microflowers. Moreover, the lowest concentration limit of hierarchical porous ZnO microflowers (non-porous ZnO microflowers) to ethanol is 0.1 (1) ppm, the response value is 1.6 (1).

Ammonia synthesis on Au modified Fe(111) and Ag and Cu modified Fe(100) surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lytken, Ole; Waltenburg, Hanne Neergaard; Chorkendorff, Ib

2003-01-01

In order to investigate any influence of steps and possible positive effects of making surface alloys the ammonia synthesis has been investigated over Au modified Fe(111) and Ag and Cu modified Fe(100) single crystals in the temperature range 603-773 K, using a system combining ultra-high vacuum...... and a high-pressure cell. Ammonia was synthesized from a stoichiometric (N-2:3H(2)) gas mixture at a pressure of 2 bar. By deposition of small amounts of An, the ammonia production activity of the Fe(1 1 1) surface can be enhanced. More important, for the gold modified surface, the reaction order in ammonia...

Gas sensing with AlGaN/GaN 2DEG channels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Offermans, P.; Vitushinsky, R.; Crego-Calama, M.; Brongersma, S.H.

2011-01-01

AlGaN/GaN shows great promise as a generic platform for (bio-)chemical sensing because of its robustness and intrinsic sensitivity to surface charge or dipoles. Here, we employ the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) formed at the interface of AlGaN/GaN layers grown on Si substrates for the

Gas-sensing behaviour of ZnO/diamond nanostructures.

Science.gov (United States)

Davydova, Marina; Laposa, Alexandr; Smarhak, Jiri; Kromka, Alexander; Neykova, Neda; Nahlik, Josef; Kroutil, Jiri; Drahokoupil, Jan; Voves, Jan

2018-01-01

Microstructured single- and double-layered sensor devices based on p-type hydrogen-terminated nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films and/or n-type ZnO nanorods (NRs) have been obtained via a facile microwave-plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition process or a hydrothermal growth procedure. The morphology and crystal structure of the synthesized materials was analysed with scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction measurements and Raman spectroscopy. The gas sensing properties of the sensors based on i) NCD films, ii) ZnO nanorods, and iii) hybrid ZnO NRs/NCD structures were evaluated with respect to oxidizing (i.e., NO 2 , CO 2 ) and reducing (i.e., NH 3 ) gases at 150 °C. The hybrid ZnO NRs/NCD sensor showed a remarkably enhanced NO 2 response compared to the ZnO NRs sensor. Further, inspired by this special hybrid structure, the simulation of interaction between the gas molecules (NO 2 and CO 2 ) and hybrid ZnO NRs/NCD sensor was studied using DFT calculations.

Liquid-Phase Co-Exfoliated Graphene/MoS2 Nanocomposite for Methanol Gas Sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shao-Lin; Yue, Hongyan; Liang, Xishuang; Yang, Woo-Chul

2015-10-01

We developed an efficient method to co-exfoliate graphite and MoS2 to fabricate graphene/MoS2 nanocomposite. The size, morphology, and crystal structure of the graphene/MoS2 nanocomposite were carefully examined. The as-prepared graphene/MoS2 nanocomposite was fabricated into thin film sensor by a facile drop casting method and tested with methanol gas in various concentrations. The sensitivity, response time, and repeatability of the graphene/MoS2 nanocomposite sensor towards methanol gas were systematically investigated. A pure MoS2 based thin film sensor was also prepared and compared with the nanocomposite sensor to better understand the synergetic effect in the sensing performance. Our research demonstrated that compositing MoS2 with graphene could overcome the shortcoming of MoS2 as a sensor material and bring in a promising gas-sensing performance with a quicker response/recovery time and an enhanced sensitivity. Moreover, this composited material with a distinct structure and an excellent electronic property is expected to have potential application in various fields, such as optoelectronic.

Indium oxide thin film based ammonia gas and ethanol vapour sensor

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

acetone and dried under an electric lamp (100 W). Thin films of indium oxide ... A λ-19, UV–VIS Spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer, USA) was used for measuring .... tion of ammonia is observed through glowing of LED. LM3914, LED driver is ...

Respiratory ammonia output and blood ammonia concentration during incremental exercise

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ament, W; Huizenga, [No Value; Kort, E; van der Mark, TW; Grevink, RG; Verkerke, GJ

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the increase of ammonia concentration and lactate concentration in blood was accompanied by an increased expiration of ammonia during graded exercise. Eleven healthy subjects performed an incremental cycle ergometer test. Blood ammonia, blood lactate

Ammonia and Carbon Dioxide Heat Pumps for Heat Recovery in Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brix, Wiebke; Christensen, Stefan W.; Markussen, Michael M.

2012-01-01

. Calculations of cycle performances are performed using a reference cycle for both ammonia and carbon dioxide as refrigerant. For each cycle a thorough sensitivity analysis reveals that the forward and return temperatures of the heat sink (condenser or gas cooler) of the heat pump are most important......This paper presents a generic, numerical study of high temperature heat pumps for waste heat recovery in industry using ammonia and carbon dioxide as refrigerants. A study of compressors available on the market today, gives a possible application range of the heat pumps in terms of temperatures...... conclusion is that ammonia heat pumps are best at heat sink inlet temperatures above 28°C and CO2 is best below 24°C, independent of other parameters....

Antipollution system to remove nitrogen dioxide gas

Science.gov (United States)

Metzler, A. J.; Slough, J. W.

1971-01-01

Gas phase reaction system using anhydrous ammonia removes nitrogen dioxide. System consists of ammonia injection and mixing section, reaction section /reactor/, and scrubber section. All sections are contained in system ducting.

NO{sub 2} gas sensing of flame-made Pt-loaded WO{sub 3} thick films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samerjai, Thanittha [Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Program, Faculty of Graduate School, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Tamaekong, Nittaya [Program in Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Maejo University, Chiang Mai 50290 (Thailand); Liewhiran, Chaikarn [Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand); Wisitsoraat, Anurat [Nanoelectronics and MEMS Laboratory, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Phanichphant, Sukon, E-mail: sphanichphant@yahoo.com [Materials Science Research Center, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200 (Thailand)

2014-06-01

Unloaded WO{sub 3} and 0.25–1.0 wt% Pt-loaded WO{sub 3} nanoparticles for NO{sub 2} gas detection were synthesized by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) and characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The BET surface area (SSA{sub BET}) of the nanoparticles was measured by nitrogen adsorption. The NO{sub 2} sensing properties of the sensors based on unloaded and Pt-loaded WO{sub 3} nanoparticles were investigated. The results showed that the gas sensing properties of the Pt-loaded WO{sub 3} sensors were excellent to those of the unloaded one. Especially, 0.25 wt% Pt-loaded WO{sub 3} sensor showed highest response to NO{sub 2} than the others at low operating temperature of 150 °C. - Graphical abstract: The response of 0.25 wt% Pt-loaded WO3 sensor was 637 towards NO{sub 2} concentration of 10 ppm at 150 °C. - Highlights: • Unloaded and Pt-loaded WO{sub 3} nanoparticles for NO{sub 2} gas detection were synthesized by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP). • Gas sensing properties of the Pt-loaded WO{sub 3} sensors were excellent to those of the unloaded one. • 0.25 wt% Pt-loaded WO{sub 3} sensor showed highest response to NO{sub 2} at low operating temperature of 150 °C.

Calculation of partial molar volume of components in supercritical ammonia synthesis system

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Cunwen WANG; Chuanbo YU; Wen CHEN; Weiguo WANG; Yuanxin WU; Junfeng ZHANG

2008-01-01

The partial molar volumes of components in supercritical ammonia synthesis system are calculated in detail by the calculation formula of partial molar volume derived from the R-K equation of state under different conditions. The objectives are to comprehend phase beha-vior of components and to provide the theoretic explana-tion and guidance for probing novel processes of ammonia synthesis under supercritical conditions. The conditions of calculation are H2/N2= 3, at a concentra-tion of NH3 in synthesis gas ranging from 2% to 15%, Concentration of medium in supercritical ammonia syn-thesis system ranging from 20% to 50%, temperature ran-ging from 243 K to 699 K and pressure ranging from 0.1 MPa to 187 MPa. The results show that the ammonia synthesis system can reach supercritical state by adding a suitable supercritical medium and then controlling the reaction conditions. It is helpful for the supercritical ammonia synthesis that medium reaches supercritical state under the conditions of the corresponding total pres-sure and components near the normal temperature or near the critical temperature of medium or in the range of tem-perature of industrialized ammonia synthesis.

Methodological aspects of using remote sensing data in oil and gas exploration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kostriukov, M I; Tsarenko, P T

1981-01-01

The use of remote sensing data for oil and gas exploration in the central part of the western Siberian plain is considered. Techniques to increase the efficiency of interpretation of deep structures are examined, and the necessity of augmenting the development of automated interpretation systems is emphasized.

Gravure-printed ammonia sensor based on organic polyaniline colloids

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Syrový, T.; Kuberský, P.; Sapurina, Irina; Pretl, S.; Bober, Patrycja; Syrová, L.; Hamáček, A.; Stejskal, Jaroslav

2016-01-01

Roč. 225, 31 March (2016), s. 510-516 ISSN 0925-4005 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LH14199; GA TA ČR(CZ) TE01020022 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : ammonia gas * polyaniline * conducting polymer Subject RIV: CG - Electrochemistry Impact factor: 5.401, year: 2016

Summer ammonia measurements in a densely populated Mediterranean city

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pandolfi, M.; Amato, F.; Reche, C.; Alastuey, A.; Otjes, R.P.; Blom, M.J.; Querol, X.

2012-01-01

Real-time measurements of ambient concentrations of gas-phase ammonia (NH3) were performed in Barcelona (NE Spain) in summer between May and September 2011. Two measurement sites were selected: one in an urban background traffic-influenced area (UB) and the other in the historical city centre (CC).

Enhancement of methane gas sensing characteristics of graphene oxide sensor by heat treatment and laser irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Assar, Mohammadreza; Karimzadeh, Rouhollah

2016-12-01

The present study uses a rapid, easy and practical method for cost-effective fabrication of a methane gas sensor. The sensor was made by drop-casting a graphene oxide suspension onto an interdigital circuit surface. The electrical conductivity and gas-sensing characteristics of the sensor were determined and then heat treatment and in situ laser irradiation were applied to improve the device conductivity and gas sensitivity. Real-time monitoring of the evolution of the device current as a function of heat treatment time revealed significant changes in the conductance of the graphene oxide sensor. The use of low power laser irradiation enhanced both the electrical conductivity and sensing response of the graphene oxide sensor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Zigzag GaN/Ga2O3 heterogeneous nanowires: Synthesis, optical and gas sensing properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li-Wei Chang

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Zigzag GaN/Ga2O3 heterogeneous nanowires (NWs were fabricated, and the optical properties and NO gas sensing ability of the NWs were investigated. We find that NWs are most effective at 850 °C at a switching process once every 10 min (on/off = 10 min per each with a mixture flow of NH3 and Ar. The red shift of the optical bandgap (0.66 eV is observed from the UV-vis spectrum as the GaN phase forms. The gas sensing characteristics of the developed sensor are significantly replaced to those of other types of NO sensors reported in literature.

Effects of ammonia from livestock farming on lichen photosynthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paoli, Luca [Department of Environmental Science ' G. Sarfatti' , University of Siena, via Mattioli 4, I-53100 Siena (Italy); Department of Biology, University of Crete, 71409 Heraklion, Crete (Greece); Pirintsos, Stergios Arg.; Kotzabasis, Kiriakos [Department of Biology, University of Crete, 71409 Heraklion, Crete (Greece); Pisani, Tommaso [Department of Environmental Science ' G. Sarfatti' , University of Siena, via Mattioli 4, I-53100 Siena (Italy); Navakoudis, Eleni [Department of Biology, University of Crete, 71409 Heraklion, Crete (Greece); Loppi, Stefano, E-mail: loppi@unisi.i [Department of Environmental Science ' G. Sarfatti' , University of Siena, via Mattioli 4, I-53100 Siena (Italy)

2010-06-15

This study investigated if atmospheric ammonia (NH{sub 3}) pollution around a sheep farm influences the photosynthetic performance of the lichens Evernia prunastri and Pseudevernia furfuracea. Thalli of both species were transplanted for up to 30 days in a semi-arid region (Crete, Greece), at sites with concentrations of atmospheric ammonia of ca. 60 mug/m{sup 3} (at a sheep farm), ca. 15 mug/m{sup 3} (60 m from the sheep farm) and ca. 2 mug/m{sup 3} (a remote area 5 km away). Lichen photosynthesis was analysed by the chlorophyll a fluorescence emission to identify targets of ammonia pollution. The results indicated that the photosystem II of the two lichens exposed to NH{sub 3} is susceptible to this pollutant in the gas-phase. The parameter PI{sub ABS}, a global index of photosynthetic performance that combines in a single expression the three functional steps of the photosynthetic activity (light absorption, excitation energy trapping, and conversion of excitation energy to electron transport) was much more sensitive to NH{sub 3} than the F{sub V}/F{sub M} ratio, one of the most commonly used stress indicators. - Ammonia from livestock farming affects lichen photosynthesis.

IFI16 and cGAS cooperate in the activation of STING during DNA sensing in human keratinocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Almine, Jessica F; O'Hare, Craig A J; Dunphy, Gillian; Haga, Ismar R; Naik, Rangeetha J; Atrih, Abdelmadjid; Connolly, Dympna J; Taylor, Jordan; Kelsall, Ian R; Bowie, Andrew G; Beard, Philippa M; Unterholzner, Leonie

2017-02-13

Many human cells can sense the presence of exogenous DNA during infection though the cytosolic DNA receptor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), which produces the second messenger cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP). Other putative DNA receptors have been described, but whether their functions are redundant, tissue-specific or integrated in the cGAS-cGAMP pathway is unclear. Here we show that interferon-γ inducible protein 16 (IFI16) cooperates with cGAS during DNA sensing in human keratinocytes, as both cGAS and IFI16 are required for the full activation of an innate immune response to exogenous DNA and DNA viruses. IFI16 is also required for the cGAMP-induced activation of STING, and interacts with STING to promote STING phosphorylation and translocation. We propose that the two DNA sensors IFI16 and cGAS cooperate to prevent the spurious activation of the type I interferon response.

Improving methane gas sensing properties of multi-walled carbonnanotubes by vanadium oxide filling

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Chimowa, George

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Manipulation of electrical properties and hence gas sensing properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) by filling the inner wall with vanadium oxide is presented. Using a simple capillary technique, MWNTs are filled with vanadium metal...

Selective Sensing of Gas Mixture via a Temperature Modulation Approach: New Strategy for Potentiometric Gas Sensor Obtaining Satisfactory Discriminating Features.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Fu-An; Jin, Han; Wang, Jinxia; Zou, Jie; Jian, Jiawen

2017-03-12

A new strategy to discriminate four types of hazardous gases is proposed in this research. Through modulating the operating temperature and the processing response signal with a pattern recognition algorithm, a gas sensor consisting of a single sensing electrode, i.e., ZnO/In₂O₃ composite, is designed to differentiate NO₂, NH₃, C₃H₆, CO within the level of 50-400 ppm. Results indicate that with adding 15 wt.% ZnO to In₂O₃, the sensor fabricated at 900 °C shows optimal sensing characteristics in detecting all the studied gases. Moreover, with the aid of the principle component analysis (PCA) algorithm, the sensor operating in the temperature modulation mode demonstrates acceptable discrimination features. The satisfactory discrimination features disclose the future that it is possible to differentiate gas mixture efficiently through operating a single electrode sensor at temperature modulation mode.

Ammonia complexes of metals in aqueous solutions with high concentrations of ammonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Padar, T.G.; Novikov, L.K.; Stupko, T.V.; Isaev, I.D.; Pashkov, G.L.; Mironov, V.E.

1991-01-01

Potentiometric method, glass electrodes and Bierrum function were used to study the formation of ammonia complexes of magnesium, calcium, cadmium, zinc, copper(2) and silver in 2.0 mol/dm 3 aqueous solutions of ammonia nitrate with 0-18 mol/dm 3 ammonia concentrations at 25.0 deg C. Step constants of stability of studied complexes were calculated and their compositions were determined with account of nonideal character of aqueous-salt solutions with ammonia concentrations above 1.0 mol/dm 3 . Values of correction effects on salting out ammonia action for Bierrum function in solutions with 1.0-18 mol/dm 3 ammonia concentrations were found

Room temperature ferromagnetism and CH{sub 4} gas sensing of titanium oxynitride induced by milling and annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bolokang, Amogelang S., E-mail: Sylvester.Bolokang@transnet.net [DST/CSIR National Centre for Nano-Structured Materials, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, 0001 (South Africa); Transnet Engineering, Product Development, Private Bag X 528, Kilnerpark, 0127 (South Africa); Tshabalala, Zamaswazi P. [DST/CSIR National Centre for Nano-Structured Materials, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, 0001 (South Africa); Malgas, Gerald F. [Department of Physics, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, 7535 (South Africa); Kortidis, Ioannis [DST/CSIR National Centre for Nano-Structured Materials, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, 0001 (South Africa); West Virginia University, Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Evansdale Campus, Morgantown, WV, 26506 (United States); Swart, Hendrik C. [Department of Physics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, ZA9300 (South Africa); Motaung, David E., E-mail: dmotaung@csir.co.za [DST/CSIR National Centre for Nano-Structured Materials, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, 0001 (South Africa)

2017-06-01

We report on the room temperature ferromagnetism and CH{sub 4} gas sensing of titanium oxynitride prepared by milling and annealing at 1100 °C in a nitrogen gas environment. Structural analyses revealed a metastable orthorhombic TiO{sub 2} phase after milling for 120 h. The 120 h milled TiO{sub 2} particles and subsequently annealed in nitrogen gas at 1100 °C showed the formation of titanium oxynitride (TiO{sub x}N{sub y}) with a tetragonal crystal structure. An FCC metastable TiO{sub x}N{sub y} phase was also observed with a lattice parameter a = 4.235 Å. The vibrating sample magnetometer and electron paramagnetic analyses showed that the milled and TiO{sub x}N{sub y} samples possess room temperature ferromagnetism. Gas sensing measurements were carried out toward CH{sub 4} and H{sub 2} gases. The TiO{sub x}N{sub y} nanostructures demonstrated higher sensing response and selectivity to CH{sub 4} gas at room temperature. The enhanced response of 1010 and sensitivity of 50.12 ppm{sup -1} at a concentration of 20 ppm CH{sub 4} are associated with higher surface area, pore diameter and surface defects such as oxygen vacancies and Ti{sup 3+}, as evidenced from the Brunauer–Emmet–Teller, photoluminescence, electron paramagnetic resonance and x-ray photoelectron analyses. - Highlights: • Ball milled of TiO{sub 2} structure revealed metastable orthorhombic phase. • Upon nitridation tetragonal and FCC TiO{sub x}N{sub y} crystal structures were induced. • The magnetic properties of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles was transformed by milling. • TiO{sub x}N{sub y} sensing response for CH{sub 4} gas at room temperature was high.

Study of the acceleration of ammonia generation process from poultry residues aiming at hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egute, Nayara dos Santos

2010-01-01

The hydrogen, utilized in fuel cells, can be produced from a variety of intermediate chemicals, between them, the ammonia. The ammonia gas as a raw material for the hydrogen production has been used due to its high energetic content, facility of decomposition, high availability, low prices, low storage pressure and its by-products are environmentally correct. One of the sources of ammonia is poultry and egg production systems. In these systems the ammonia is produced from the decomposition of uric acid present in the excreta of birds. The residue from the poultry-rearing farms is the broiler litter and from the egg production system is the excreta without any substrate. The characterization of these residues was performed using the Wavelength-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (WDXRF), Elementary Analysis (CHN), Thermogravimetry and GC/MS - Gas chromatography/ Mass spectrometry. The studied factors which influence the ammonia volatilization were: nitrogen content, raising period, urease enzyme, temperature, pH and moisture content. The experiment results with poultry litter and excreta allow to conclude that the manipulation of the following parameters increased the ammonia emission: pH, nitrogen content, raising period, age of birds and excreta accumulation, urease enzyme and the temperature. The addition of different amounts of sand in the excreta and different volumes of water in the poultry litter inhibited the emission of ammonia. The variation of the quantity of material (broiler litter or excreta) and the volume of the flask used as incubator chamber showed no significant alterations to be chosen as a variable. The excreta was considered more appropriate than poultry litter for the objectives of this work due to the higher ammonia concentrations determined in this material. Due to the large amount of poultry litter and excreta from the production processes, the reuse of poultry residues to obtain ammonia is necessary to improve the quality of the local

Flexible Transparent Films Based on Nanocomposite Networks of Polyaniline and Carbon Nanotubes for High-Performance Gas Sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Pengbo; Wen, Xuemei; Sun, Chaozheng; Chandran, Bevita K; Zhang, Han; Sun, Xiaoming; Chen, Xiaodong

2015-10-28

A flexible, transparent, chemical gas sensor is assembled from a transparent conducting film of carbon nanotube (CNT) networks that are coated with hierarchically nanostructured polyaniline (PANI) nanorods. The nanocomposite film is synthesized by in-situ, chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in a functional multiwalled CNT (FMWCNT) suspension and is simultaneously deposited onto a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. An as-prepared flexible transparent chemical gas sensor exhibits excellent transparency of 85.0% at 550 nm using the PANI/FMWCNT nanocomposite film prepared over a reaction time of 8 h. The sensor also shows good flexibility, without any obvious decrease in performance after 500 bending/extending cycles, demonstrating high-performance, portable gas sensing at room temperature. This superior performance could be attributed to the improved electron transport and collection due to the CNTs, resulting in reliable and efficient sensing, as well as the high surface-to-volume ratio of the hierarchically nanostructured composites. The excellent transparency, improved sensing performance, and superior flexibility of the device, may enable the integration of this simple, low-cost, gas sensor into handheld flexible transparent electronic circuitry and optoelectronic devices. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Pt-decorated GaN nanowires with significant improvement in H2 gas-sensing performance at room temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdullah, Q N; Yam, F K; Hassan, Z; Bououdina, M

2015-12-15

Superior sensitivity towards H2 gas was successfully achieved with Pt-decorated GaN nanowires (NWs) gas sensor. GaN NWs were fabricated via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) route. Morphology (field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy) and crystal structure (high resolution X-ray diffraction) characterizations of the as-synthesized nanostructures demonstrated the formation of GaN NWs having a wurtzite structure, zigzaged shape and an average diameter of 30-166nm. The Pt-decorated GaN NWs sensor shows a high response of 250-2650% upon exposure to H2 gas concentration from 7 to 1000ppm respectively at room temperature (RT), and then increases to about 650-4100% when increasing the operating temperature up to 75°C. The gas-sensing measurements indicated that the Pt-decorated GaN NWs based sensor exhibited efficient detection of H2 at low concentration with excellent sensitivity, repeatability, and free hysteresis phenomena over a period of time of 100min. The large surface-to-volume ratio of GaN NWs and the catalytic activity of Pt metal are the most influential factors leading to the enhancement of H2 gas-sensing performances through the improvement of the interaction between the target molecules (H2) and the sensing NWs surface. The attractive low-cost, low power consumption and high-performance of the resultant decorated GaN NWs gas sensor assure their uppermost potential for H2 gas sensor working at low operating temperature. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assembly of ZIF-67 Metal-Organic Framework over Tin Oxide Nanoparticles for Synergistic Chemiresistive CO2 Gas Sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

DMello, Marilyn Esclance; Sundaram, Nalini G; Kalidindi, Suresh Babu

2018-05-03

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are widely known for their record storage capacities of small gas molecules (H 2 , CO 2 , and CH 4 ). Assembly of such porous materials onto well-known chemiresistive gas sensing elements such as SnO 2 could be an attractive prospect to achieve novel sensing properties as this affects the surface chemistry of SnO 2 . Cobalt-imidazole based ZIF-67 MOF was grown onto preformed SnO 2 nanoparticles to realize core-shell like architecture and explored for greenhouse gas CO 2 sensing. CO 2 sensing over SnO 2 is a challenge because its interaction with SnO 2 surface is minimal. The ZIF-67 coating over SnO 2 improved the response of SnO 2 up to 12-fold (for 50 % CO 2 ). The SnO 2 @ZIF-67 also showed a response of 16.5±2.1 % for 5000 ppm CO 2 (threshold limit value (TLV)) at 205 °C, one of the best values reported for a SnO 2 -based sensor. The observed novel CO 2 sensing characteristics are assigned to electronic structure changes at the interface of ZIF-67 and SnO 2 . © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The synthesis of a new type adsorbent for the removal of toxic gas by radiation-induced graft polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okamoto, Jiro; Sugo, Takanobu

1990-01-01

A new type of adsorbent containing sulfuric acid group for the removal of ammonia gas was synthesized by radiation-induced graft polymerization of styrene onto fibrous and nonwoven type polypropylene followed by sulufonation with chlorosulfonic acid. The rate of the adsorption of ammonia gas by H-type adsorbent is independent of the ion-exchange capacity. The amount of ammonia gas adsorbed by the chemical adsorption was dependent on the ion-exchange capacity of H-type fibrous adsorbent and was kept constant value in spite of the equilibrium pressure of ammonia gas. Cu(II)- and Ni(II)-types fibrous adsorbent were prepared by the ion exchange reaction of Na-type fibrous adsorbent with metal nitrate solutions. Although, the rate of adsorption of ammonia gas by metal-type fibrous adsorbent is lower than that of H-type adsorbent, the amount of ammonia gas adsorbed increases compared to H-type adsorbent with the same ion exchange capacity. It was related to the highest coordination number of metal ion. The ratio of the number of ammonia molecules adsorbed chemically and the number of metal ion adsorbed in fibrous adsorbent was 4 for Cu-type and 6 for Ni-type fibrous adsorbent, respectively. (author)

Indium oxide octahedrons based on sol–gel process enhance room temperature gas sensing performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mu, Xiaohui [Key Laboratory of Chemical Sensing & Analysis in Universities of Shandong, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, Shandong (China); Chen, Changlong, E-mail: chem.chencl@hotmail.com [Key Laboratory of Chemical Sensing & Analysis in Universities of Shandong, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, Shandong (China); Han, Liuyuan [Key Laboratory of Chemical Sensing & Analysis in Universities of Shandong, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, Shandong (China); Shao, Baiqi [State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China); Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Wei, Yuling [Instrumental Analysis Center, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan 250353, Shandong (China); Liu, Qinglong; Zhu, Peihua [Key Laboratory of Chemical Sensing & Analysis in Universities of Shandong, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, Shandong (China)

2015-07-15

Highlights: • In{sub 2}O{sub 3} octahedron films are prepared based on sol–gel technique for the first time. • The preparation possesses merits of low temperature, catalyst-free and large production. • It was found that the spin-coating process in film fabrication was key to achieve the octahedrons. • The In{sub 2}O{sub 3} octahedrons could significantly enhance room temperature NO{sub 2} gas sensing performance. - Abstract: Indium oxide octahedrons were prepared on glass substrates through a mild route based on sol–gel technique. The preparation possesses characteristics including low temperature, catalyst-free and large production, which is much distinguished from the chemical-vapor-deposition based methods that usually applied to prepare indium oxide octahedrons. Detailed characterization revealed that the indium oxide octahedrons were single crystalline, with {1 1 1} crystal facets exposed. It was found that the spin-coating technique was key for achieving the indium oxide crystals with octahedron morphology. The probable formation mechanism of the indium oxide octahedrons was proposed based on the experiment results. Room temperature NO{sub 2} gas sensing measurements exhibited that the indium oxide octahedrons could significantly enhance the sensing performance in comparison with the plate-like indium oxide particles that prepared from the dip-coated gel films, which was attributed to the abundant sharp edges and tips as well as the special {1 1 1} crystal facets exposed that the former possessed. Such a simple wet-chemical based method to prepare indium oxide octahedrons with large-scale production is promising to provide the advanced materials that can be applied in wide fields like gas sensing, solar energy conversion, field emission, and so on.

Indium oxide octahedrons based on sol–gel process enhance room temperature gas sensing performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mu, Xiaohui; Chen, Changlong; Han, Liuyuan; Shao, Baiqi; Wei, Yuling; Liu, Qinglong; Zhu, Peihua

2015-01-01

Highlights: • In 2 O 3 octahedron films are prepared based on sol–gel technique for the first time. • The preparation possesses merits of low temperature, catalyst-free and large production. • It was found that the spin-coating process in film fabrication was key to achieve the octahedrons. • The In 2 O 3 octahedrons could significantly enhance room temperature NO 2 gas sensing performance. - Abstract: Indium oxide octahedrons were prepared on glass substrates through a mild route based on sol–gel technique. The preparation possesses characteristics including low temperature, catalyst-free and large production, which is much distinguished from the chemical-vapor-deposition based methods that usually applied to prepare indium oxide octahedrons. Detailed characterization revealed that the indium oxide octahedrons were single crystalline, with {1 1 1} crystal facets exposed. It was found that the spin-coating technique was key for achieving the indium oxide crystals with octahedron morphology. The probable formation mechanism of the indium oxide octahedrons was proposed based on the experiment results. Room temperature NO 2 gas sensing measurements exhibited that the indium oxide octahedrons could significantly enhance the sensing performance in comparison with the plate-like indium oxide particles that prepared from the dip-coated gel films, which was attributed to the abundant sharp edges and tips as well as the special {1 1 1} crystal facets exposed that the former possessed. Such a simple wet-chemical based method to prepare indium oxide octahedrons with large-scale production is promising to provide the advanced materials that can be applied in wide fields like gas sensing, solar energy conversion, field emission, and so on

Studies on Gas Sensing Performance of Pure and Surface Modified SrTiO3 Thick Film Resistors

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V. B. Gaikwad

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Strontium Titanate (SrTiO3 (ST was prepared mechanochemically from Sr(OH2 and TiO2. XRD confirms the Perovskite phase of material. Thick films of ST were prepared by screen-printing technique. The gas sensing performances of thick films were tested for various gases. It showed maximum sensitivity to CO gas at 350 oC for 100 ppm gas concentration. To improve the sensitivity and selectivity of the film towards a particular gas, ST thick films were surface modified by dipping them in a solution of nano copper for different intervals of time. These surface modified ST films showed larger sensitivity to H2S gas (100 ppm at 300 oC than pure ST film. A systematic study, of sensing performance of the sensor, indicates the key role-played by the nano copper species on the surface .The sensitivity, selectivity, response and recovery time of the sensor were measured and presented.

Shannon Entropy of Ammonia Volatilization from Fertilized Agricultural Soils

Science.gov (United States)

The economic loss of ammonia (NH3) volatilization from chemical N fertilizers applied to farmlands worldwide is 11.6 billion US dollars per year. The economic impact of negative environmental effects resulted from NH3 volatilization, i.e., formation of potent greenhouse gas (N2O) and PM2.5, is diffi...

Electron-beam flue-gas treatment system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, Sinji; Suzuki, Ryoji

1994-01-01

The damage of forests in the world due to acid rain has become serious problems, and the development of high efficiency and economical desulfurization and denitration technologies for combustion exhaust gas has been desired. Japan leads the world in exhaust gas treatment technology. The conventional technologies have been the desulfurization by lime gypsum process and the denitration by ammonia catalytic reduction process. The solution by entirely new concept is the electron beam treatment technology for exhaust gas. This technology is a dry process without drain, and does not require catalyst. The byproduct from this technology was approved as a fertilizer. The electron beam treatment technology is called EBA (electron beam with ammonia). The exhaust gas treatment technology by electron beam process is constituted by the cooling of exhaust gas, ammonia addition, electron beam irradiation and the separation of byproduct. The features of the technology are the simultaneous removal of sulfur and nitrogen oxides, dry process, the facilities are simple and the operation is easy, easy following to load variation and the utilization of byproduct. The reaction mechanism of desulfurization and denitration, the course of development, the electron beam generator, and the verifying test are reported. (K.I.)

Lethal concentration (CL50 of un-ionized ammonia for pejerrey larvae in acute exposure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piedras Sérgio Renato Noguez

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Ammonia results from decomposition of effluents organic matter, e.g. feed wastes and fish faeces. Its un-ionized form can be toxic because diffuses easily through fish respiratory membranes, damaging gill epithelium and impairing gas exchanges. The objective of this work was determining the 96-hour CL50 of un-ionized ammonia for newly hatched pejerrey Odontesthes bonariensis larvae. Trials were set up completely randomized design, with three different concentration of un-ionized ammonia (0.57, 0.94, and 1.45 mg L-1 NH3-N and a control treatment (n = 3. Experimental units were 20-L, aerated aquaria stocked with 20 larvae (average weight 3.9 mg. Pejerrey larvae exposed to un-ionized ammonia during 96 hours present 50% mortality at 0.71 mg L-1 NH3-N.

Rutile vanadium antimonates. A new class of catalysts for selective reduction of NO with ammonia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brazdil, James F.; Ebner, Ann M.; Cavalcanti, Fernando A.P. [BP Chemicals Inc., Cleveland, OH (United States)

1997-12-31

This paper describes a new class of vanadium containing oxide catalysts that are active and selective for the selective catalytic reduction of NO with ammonia. Vanadium antimony oxide based catalysts were found to be effective in the conversion of NO with little or no ammonia slippage when tested using gas mixtures containing between 300 and 700ppm NO. X-ray diffraction analyses of the catalysts show that the dominant phase present in the catalyst is vanadium antimonate having a defect rutile crystal structure. The catalysts are active and selective in the ranges of 400-460C and gas hourly space velocities of 3000-8000h{sup -1}

Synthesis of ZnO thin film by sol-gel spin coating technique for H2S gas sensing application

Science.gov (United States)

Nimbalkar, Amol R.; Patil, Maruti G.

2017-12-01

In this present work, zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film synthesized by a simple sol-gel spin coating technique. The structural, morphology, compositional, microstructural, optical, electrical and gas sensing properties of the film were studied by using XRD, FESEM, EDS, XPS, HRTEM, Raman, FTIR and UV-vis techniques. The ZnO thin film shows hexagonal wurtzite structure with a porous structured morphology. Gas sensing performance of synthesized ZnO thin film was tested initially for H2S gas at different operating temperatures as well as concentrations. The maximum gas response is achieved towards H2S gas at 300 °C operating temperature, at 100 ppm gas concentration as compared to other gases like CH3OH, Cl2, NH3, LPG, CH3COCH3, and C2H5OH with a good stability.

Potential for visible plume formation at a coal-fired boiler using ammonia injection for non-catalytic NOx control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hess, T.

1993-01-01

Circulating fluidized bed boilers utilizing ammonia injection for non-catalytic NO x reduction have been highly successful in reducing NO x emissions to very low levels. However, one limitation on this technology is the potential for the formation of visible plumes. One plant, with uncontrolled NO x of about 190 ppm, reduces NO x concentrations to the 20-25 ppm range by injecting ammonia in the boiler's cyclones. However, infrequent, short-lived, white, detached plumes have been noted extending for short distances downwind of the stack. Because unreacted ammonia is present in the flue gas along with HCl from coal combustion, the formation of solid NH 4 Cl in the atmosphere was suspected to be the most likely cause of the visible plume. Simple thermodynamic calculations predict the formation of solid ammonium chloride very soon after the flue gas mixes with cooler ambient air and plume optical density calculations are in reasonable agreement with observed plume density. Stack testing and other tests have been conducted during both plume and non-plume events to confirm that NH 4 Cl formation is the most likely cause of the capacity. As presented in this paper, the test data and theoretical calculations indicate that a visible plume may be expected when as little as 5 ppm of ammonia and HCl are present in the flue gas, depending on observation conditions. Analyses of fuel samples taken during stack tests show about 40% of the chlorine in the low chloride coal fired, typically less than 0.04%, is released from the stack as HCl. Ammonia slip is somewhat variable depending on combustion conditions in the boiler and the temperature at the ammonia injection points

Applicability of Ammonia Sensors for Controlling Environmental Parameters in Accommodations for Lamb Fattening

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F. Javier García-Ramos

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Electrochemical ammonia sensors were used to analyse the existing relationship between the ammonia concentration and ambient levels of both temperature and relative humidity in commercial lamb fattening housing equipped with mechanical ventilation and straw-bedded pens. In the first stage of the experiment, sensors were placed over straw beds covered in lamb urine and analysed under laboratory conditions in order to determine ammonia emission evolution over time; three control temperatures (25, 35, and 50°C were used. A HOBO H8 temperature and relative humidity logger and a Dräger NH3LC-6809680 electrochemical ammonia sensor placed in a Dräger Polytron 7000 gas detector were utilized as sensors. A positive correlation was established between both ammonia emission time and emitted amount with temperature. Additionally, tests were performed in a commercial lamb housing to determine ammonia concentration variation with respect to height from the ground; three ammonia sensors placed at 50, 90, and 135 cm above the ground were used simultaneously. The ammonia concentration significantly decreased as height increased. A 90 cm height was selected, and three ammonia probes were placed in three different pens inside the livestock housing, along with temperature and relative humidity sensors; four different housing ventilation rates were then tested under real conditions over a time period of 4 months. An adjustment polynomial equation between the housing ambient temperature and the ammonia concentration was obtained with R2 = 0.632. In conclusion, a relationship can be established between temperature and ammonia concentration in commercial lamb housing under certain handling conditions, which in turn allows for estimating the ammonia concentration adequately based on the ambient internal temperature.

Evaluation of gas-sensing properties of ZnO nanostructures electrochemically doped with Au nanophases

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Elena Dilonardo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A one-step electrochemical method based on sacrificial anode electrolysis (SAE was used to deposit stabilized gold nanoparticles (Au NPs directly on the surface of nanostructured ZnO powders, previously synthesized through a sol–gel process. The effect of thermal annealing temperatures (300 and 550 °C on chemical, morphological, and structural properties of pristine and Au-doped ZnO nancomposites (Au@ZnO was investigated. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM, as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, revealed the successful deposition of nanoscale gold on the surface of spherical and rod-like ZnO nanostructures, obtained after annealing at 300 and 550 °C, respectively. The pristine ZnO and Au@ZnO nanocomposites are proposed as active layer in chemiresistive gas sensors for low-cost processing. Gas-sensing measurements towards NO2 were collected at 300 °C, evaluating not only the Au-doping effect, but also the influence of the different ZnO nanostructures on the gas-sensing properties.

Optical Thin Films for Gas Sensing in Advanced Coal Fired Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohodnicki, Paul; Brown, Thomas; Baltrus John; Chorpening, Benjamin

2012-08-09

Even for existing coal based plants, the opportunity for sensors and controls to improve efficiency is great. A wide range of gas species are of interest for relevant applications. Functional sensor layers for embedded sensing must be compatible with extreme conditions (temperature, pressure, corrosive). Au incorporated metal oxides have been looked at by a number of other authors previously for gas sensing, but have often focused on temperatures below 500{degree}C. Au nanoparticle incorporated metal oxide thin films have shown enhanced gas sensing response. In prior work, we have demonstrated that material systems such as Au nanoparticle incorporated TiO{sub 2} films exhibit a potentially useful optical response to changing gas atmospheres at temperatures up to ~800-850{degree}C. Current work is focused on sputter-deposited Au/TiO{sub 2} films. Au and Ti are multi-layered sputter deposited, followed by a 950{degree}C oxidation step. Increasing Au layer thickness yields larger particles. Interband electronic transitions significantly modify the optical constants of Au as compared to the damped free electron theory. A high temperature oxidation (20%O{sub 2}/N{sub 2}) treatment was performed at 700{degree}C followed by a reduction (4%H{sub 2}/N{sub 2}) treatment to illustrate the shift in both absorption and scattering with exposure to reducing gases. Shift of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption peak in changing gas atmospheres is well documented, but shift in the peak associated with diffuse scattering is a new observation. Increasing Au layer-thickness results in an increase in LSPR absorption and a shift to longer wavelengths. Diffuse scattering associated with the LSPR resonance of Au shows a similar trend with increasing Au thickness. To model the temperature dependence of LSPR, the modification to the plasmon frequency, the damping frequency, and the dielectric constant of the oxide matrix must be accounted for. Thermal expansion of Au causes

Transcriptional Response of the Archaeal Ammonia Oxidizer Nitrosopumilus maritimus to Low and Environmentally Relevant Ammonia Concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Stahl, David A.

2013-01-01

The ability of chemoautotrophic ammonia-oxidizing archaea to compete for ammonia among marine microorganisms at low ambient concentrations has been in part attributed to their extremely high affinity for ammonia, but as yet there is no mechanistic understanding of supporting metabolism. We examined transcription of selected genes for anabolic functions (CO2 fixation, ammonia transport, and cell wall synthesis) and a central catabolic function (ammonia oxidation) in the thaumarchaeon Nitrosopumilus maritimus SCM1 growing at two ammonia concentrations, as measured by combined ammonia and ammonium, one well above the Km for ammonia oxidation (∼500 μM) and the other well below the Km (ammonia-replete to ammonia-limiting conditions. Transcript levels for ammonia oxidation, CO2 fixation, and one of the ammonia transport genes were approximately the same at high and low ammonia availability. Transcripts for all analyzed genes decreased with time in the complete absence of ammonia, but with various rates of decay. The new steady-state mRNA levels established are presumably more reflective of the natural physiological state of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and offer a reference for interpreting message abundance patterns in the natural environment. PMID:23995944

Hydrogen generation from deliquescence of ammonia borane using Ni-Co/r-GO catalyst

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Chang-Chen; Chen, Bing-Hung

2015-10-01

Hydrogen generation from the catalyzed deliquescence/hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB) using the Ni-Co catalyst supported on the graphene oxide (Ni-Co/r-GO catalyst) under the conditions of limited water supply was studied with the molar feed ratio of water to ammonia borane (denoted as H2O/AB) at 2.02, 3.97 and 5.93, respectively. The conversion efficiency of ammonia borane to hydrogen was estimated both from the cumulative volume of the hydrogen gas generated and the conversion of boron chemistry in the hydrolysates analyzed by the solid-state 11B NMR. The conversion efficiency of ammonia borane could reach nearly 100% under excess water dosage, that is, H2O/AB = 3.97 and 5.93. Notably, the hydrogen storage capacity could reach as high as 6.5 wt.% in the case with H2O/AB = 2.02. The hydrolysates of ammonia borane in the presence of Ni-Co/r-GO catalyst were mainly the mixture of boric acid and metaborate according to XRD, FT-IR and solid-state 11B NMR analyses.

Triboelectric-based harvesting of gas flow energy and powerless sensing applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taghavi, Majid, E-mail: majid.taghavi@iit.it [Micro-BioRobotics Center, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera (Italy); Biorobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pontedera, Pisa (Italy); Sadeghi, Ali; Mazzolai, Barbara [Micro-BioRobotics Center, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera (Italy); Beccai, Lucia, E-mail: lucia.beccai@iit.it [Micro-BioRobotics Center, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera (Italy); Mattoli, Virgilio, E-mail: virgilio.mattoli@iit.it [Micro-BioRobotics Center, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera (Italy)

2014-12-30

Highlights: • The mechanical energy of both pure and impure gases can be harvested by the introduced system. • The blown gas vibrates a non conductive sheet between two surfaces, generating the triboelectric charges. • The system is able to measure the flow rate of the blown gas. • The existence of dust in the blown air can be detected without external powering. • A self powered smoke detector is introduced. - Abstract: In this work, we propose an approach that can convert gas flow energy to electric energy by using the triboelectric effect, in a structure integrating at least two conductive parts (i.e. electrodes) and one non-conductive sheet. The gas flow induces vibration of the cited parts. Therefore, the frequent attaching and releasing between a non-conductive layer with at least one electrode generates electrostatic charges on the surfaces, and then an electron flow between the two electrodes. The effect of blown gas on the output signals is studied to evaluate the gas flow sensing. We also illustrate that the introduced system has an ability to detect micro particles driven by air into the system. Finally we show how we can use this approach for a self sustainable system demonstrating smoke detection and LED lightening.

Triboelectric-based harvesting of gas flow energy and powerless sensing applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taghavi, Majid; Sadeghi, Ali; Mazzolai, Barbara; Beccai, Lucia; Mattoli, Virgilio

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The mechanical energy of both pure and impure gases can be harvested by the introduced system. • The blown gas vibrates a non conductive sheet between two surfaces, generating the triboelectric charges. • The system is able to measure the flow rate of the blown gas. • The existence of dust in the blown air can be detected without external powering. • A self powered smoke detector is introduced. - Abstract: In this work, we propose an approach that can convert gas flow energy to electric energy by using the triboelectric effect, in a structure integrating at least two conductive parts (i.e. electrodes) and one non-conductive sheet. The gas flow induces vibration of the cited parts. Therefore, the frequent attaching and releasing between a non-conductive layer with at least one electrode generates electrostatic charges on the surfaces, and then an electron flow between the two electrodes. The effect of blown gas on the output signals is studied to evaluate the gas flow sensing. We also illustrate that the introduced system has an ability to detect micro particles driven by air into the system. Finally we show how we can use this approach for a self sustainable system demonstrating smoke detection and LED lightening

Characterization and Gas Sensing Properties of Copper-doped Tin Oxide Thin Films Deposited by Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis

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Zhaoxia ZHAI

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Tin oxide-based thin films are deposited by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technology, in which Cu addition is introduced to enhance the gas sensing performance by H2S detection. The thin films are porous and comprise nano-sized crystallites. One of the Cu-containing thin film sensors demonstrates a fast and significant response to H2S gas. The values of power law exponent n are calculated to discuss the sensitivity of the sensors, which is significantly promoted by Cu additive. The sensitivity of Cu-doped SnO2 gas sensors is determined by two mechanisms. One is the normal gas sensing mechanism of SnO2 grains, and the other is the promoted mechanism caused by the transformation between CuO and CuS in the H2S detection. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.2.12917

Superior selectivity and sensitivity of blue phosphorus nanotubes in gas sensing applications

KAUST Repository

Montes Muñoz, Enrique

2017-05-23

On the basis of first principles calculations, we study the adsorption of CO, CO2, NH3, NO, and NO2 molecules on armchair and zigzag blue phosphorus nanotubes. The nanotubes are found to surpass the gas sensing performance of other one-dimensional materials, in particular Si nanowires and carbon nanotubes, and two-dimensional materials, in particular graphene, phosphorene, and MoS2. Investigation of the energetics of the gas adsorption and induced charge transfers indicates that blue phosphorus nanotubes are highly sensitive to N-based molecules, in particular NO2, due to covalent bonding. The current–voltage characteristics of nanotubes connected to Au electrodes are derived by the non-equilibrium Green\\'s function formalism and used to quantitatively evaluate the change in resistivity upon gas adsorption. The observed selectivity and sensitivity properties make blue phosphorus nanotubes superior gas sensors for a wide range of applications.

Application of gas-coupled laser acoustic detection to gelatins and underwater sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caron, James N.; Kunapareddy, Pratima

2014-01-01

Gas-coupled Laser Acoustic Detection (GCLAD) has been used as a method to sense ultrasound waves in materials without contact of the material surface. To sense the waveform, a laser beam is directed parallel to the material surface and displaced or deflected when the radiated waveform traverses the beam. We present recent tests that demonstrate the potential of using this technique for detecting ultrasound in gelatin phantoms and in water. As opposed to interferometric detection, GCLAD operates independently of the optical surface properties of the material. This allows the technique to be used in cases where the material is transparent or semi-transparent. We present results on sensing ultrasound in gelatin phantoms that are used to mimic biological materials. As with air-coupled transducers, the frequency response of GCLAD at high frequencies is limited by the high attenuation of ultrasound in air. In contrast, water has a much lower attenuation. Here we demonstrate the use of a GCLAD-like system in water, measuring the directivity response at 1 MHz and sensing waveforms with higher frequency content

Chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy for remote open-path trace-gas sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikodem, Michal; Wysocki, Gerard

2012-11-28

In this paper we present a prototype instrument for remote open-path detection of nitrous oxide. The sensor is based on a 4.53 μm quantum cascade laser and uses the chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy (CLaDS) technique for molecular concentration measurements. To the best of our knowledge this is the first demonstration of open-path laser-based trace-gas detection using a molecular dispersion measurement. The prototype sensor achieves a detection limit down to the single-ppbv level and exhibits excellent stability and robustness. The instrument characterization, field deployment performance, and the advantages of applying dispersion sensing to sensitive trace-gas detection in a remote open-path configuration are presented.

Synthesis and gas-sensing characteristics of α-Fe2O3 hollow balls

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Chu Manh Hung

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The synthesis of porous metal-oxide semiconductors for gas-sensing application is attracting increased interest. In this study, α-Fe2O3 hollow balls were synthesized using an inexpensive, scalable, and template-free hydrothermal method. The gas-sensing characteristics of the semiconductors were systematically investigated. Material characterization by XRD, SEM, HRTEM, and EDS reveals that single-phase α-Fe2O3 hollow balls with an average diameter of 1.5 μm were obtained. The hollow balls were formed by self assembly of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with an average diameter of 100 nm. The hollow structure and nanopores between the nanoparticles resulted in the significantly high response of the α-Fe2O3 hollow balls to ethanol at working temperatures ranging from 250 °C to 450 °C. The sensor also showed good selectivity over other gases, such as CO and NH3 promising significant application.

Separation of ammonia and phosphate minerals from wastewater using gas-permeable membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Conservation and recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus from animal wastes and municipal effluents is important because of economic and environmental reasons. In this paper we present a novel technology for separation and recovery of ammonia and phosphorus from liquid swine manure. Phosphorus recovery ...

Modeling reactive ammonia uptake by secondary organic aerosol in CMAQ: application to the continental US

OpenAIRE

S. Zhu; J. R. Horne; J. Montoya-Aguilera; M. L. Hinks; S. A. Nizkorodov; D. Dabdub

2018-01-01

Ammonium salts such as ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate constitute an important fraction of the total fine particulate matter (PM2.5) mass. While the conversion of inorganic gases into particulate-phase sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium is now well understood, there is considerable uncertainty over interactions between gas-phase ammonia and secondary organic aerosols (SOAs). Observations have confirmed that ammonia can react with carbonyl compounds in SOA, forming nitrogen...

Quantum dots as mediators in gas sensing: A case study of CdS sensitized WO{sub 3} sensing composites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Concina, Isabella, E-mail: concina@sensor.ing.unibs.it [CNR-INO SENSOR Laboratory, via Branze, 45, 25131 Brescia (Italy); SENSOR, Department of Information Engineering, Brescia University, via Valotti, 9, 25133 Brescia (Italy); Comini, Elisabetta [CNR-INO SENSOR Laboratory, via Branze, 45, 25131 Brescia (Italy); SENSOR, Department of Information Engineering, Brescia University, via Valotti, 9, 25133 Brescia (Italy); Kaciulis, Saulius [CNR-ISMN, Institute for the Study of Nanostructured Materials, Via dei Taurini, 19, 00185 Roma (Italy); Sberveglieri, Giorgio [CNR-INO SENSOR Laboratory, via Branze, 45, 25131 Brescia (Italy); SENSOR, Department of Information Engineering, Brescia University, via Valotti, 9, 25133 Brescia (Italy)

2014-01-30

In this study the proof of principle of the use of naked semiconductor directly generated on metal oxide surface as mediators in gas sensing is provided. Successive ionic layer absorption and reaction (SILAR) technique has been applied to sensitize a WO{sub 3} thin film with CdS quantum dots. Response to gases of bare WO{sub 3} is deeply modified: quantum dots dramatically increase the metal oxide conductance, otherwise rather poor, and modify the capability of detecting environmental pollutants, such as CO and NO{sub 2}. A modified sensing mechanism is proposed to rationalize the mediation exerted by the semiconducting active layer on the interaction between gaseous species and WO{sub 3} surface.

AMMONIA AS A TEMPERATURE TRACER IN THE ULTRALUMINOUS GALAXY MERGER Arp 220

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ott, Jürgen; Henkel, Christian; Weiß, Axel; Braatz, James A.

2011-01-01

We present Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) observations of ammonia (NH 3 ) and the 1.2 cm radio continuum toward the ultraluminous infrared galaxy merger Arp 220. We detect the NH 3 (1,1), (2,2), (3,3), (4,4), (5,5), and (6,6) inversion lines in absorption against the unresolved, (62 ± 9) mJy continuum source at 1.2 cm. The peak apparent optical depths of the ammonia lines range from ∼0.05 to 0.18. The absorption lines are well described by single-component Gaussians with central velocities in between the velocities of the eastern and western cores of Arp 220. Therefore, the ammonia likely traces gas that encompasses both cores. The absorption depth of the NH 3 (1,1) line is significantly shallower than expected based on the depths of the other transitions. The shallow (1,1) profile may be caused by contamination from emission by a hypothetical, cold (∼ 14 cm –2 . This layer would have to be located behind or away from the radio continuum sources to produce the contaminating emission. The widths of the ammonia absorption lines are ∼120-430 km s –1 , in agreement with those of other molecular tracers. We cannot confirm the extremely large line widths of up to ∼1800 km s –1 previously reported for this galaxy. Using all of the ATCA detections except for the shallow (1,1) line, we determine a rotational temperature of (124 ± 19) K, corresponding to a kinetic temperature of T kin = (186 ± 55) K. Ammonia column densities depend on the excitation temperature. For excitation temperatures of 10 K and 50 K, we estimate N(NH 3 ) = (1.7 ± 0.1) × 10 16 cm –2 and (8.4 ± 0.5) × 10 16 cm –2 , respectively. The relation scales linearly for possible higher excitation temperatures. Our observations are consistent with an ortho-to-para-ammonia ratio of unity, implying that the ammonia formation temperature exceeds ∼30 K. In the context of a model with a molecular ring that connects the two nuclei in Arp

Baseline ambient gaseous ammonia concentrations in the Four Corners area and eastern Oklahoma, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Sather, Mark E; Mathew, Johnson; Nguyen, Nghia; Lay, John; Golod, George; Vet, Robert; Cotie, Joseph; Hertel, Terry; Aaboe, Erik; Callison, Ryan; Adam, Jacque; Keese, Danielle; Freise, Jeremy; Hathcoat, April; Sakizzie, Brenda; King, Michael; Lee, Chris; Oliva, Sylvia; San Miguel, George; Crow, Leon; Geasland, Frank

2008-11-01

Ambient ammonia monitoring using Ogawa passive samplers was conducted in the Four Corners area and eastern Oklahoma, USA during 2007. The resulting data will be useful in the multipollutant management of ozone, nitrogen oxides, and visibility (atmospheric regional haze) in the Four Corners area, an area with growing oil/gas production and increasing coal-based power plant construction. The passive monitoring data also add new ambient ammonia concentration information for the U.S. and will be useful to scientists involved in present and future visibility modeling exercises. Three week integrated passive ammonia samples were taken at five sites in the Four Corners area and two sites in eastern Oklahoma from December, 2006 through December, 2007 (January, 2008 for two sites). Results show significantly higher regional background ammonia concentrations in eastern Oklahoma (1.8 parts per billion (ppb) arithmetic mean) compared to the Four Corners area (0.2 ppb arithmetic mean). Annual mean ammonia concentrations for all Four Corners area sites for the 2007 study ranged from 0.2 ppb to 1.5 ppb. Peak ambient ammonia concentrations occurred in the spring and summer in both areas. The passive samplers deployed at the Stilwell, Oklahoma site compared favorably with other passive samplers and a continuous ammonia monitoring instrument.

Synthesis Methods, Microscopy Characterization and Device Integration of Nanoscale Metal Oxide Semiconductors for Gas Sensing in Aerospace Applications

Science.gov (United States)

VanderWal, Randy L.; Berger, Gordon M.; Kulis, Michael J.; Hunter, Gary W.; Xu, Jennifer C.; Evans, Laura J.

2009-01-01

A comparison is made between SnO2, ZnO, and TiO2 single-crystal nanowires and SnO2 polycrystalline nanofibers for gas sensing. Both nanostructures possess a one-dimensional morphology. Different synthesis methods are used to produce these materials: thermal evaporation-condensation (TEC), controlled oxidation, and electrospinning. Advantages and limitations of each technique are listed. Practical issues associated with harvesting, purification, and integration of these materials into sensing devices are detailed. For comparison to the nascent form, these sensing materials are surface coated with Pd and Pt nanoparticles. Gas sensing tests, with respect to H2, are conducted at ambient and elevated temperatures. Comparative normalized responses and time constants for the catalyst and noncatalyst systems provide a basis for identification of the superior metal-oxide nanostructure and catalyst combination. With temperature-dependent data, Arrhenius analyses are made to determine an activation energy for the catalyst-assisted systems.

Gas separation membranes current status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puri, S.P.

1996-01-01

Membrane-based gas separation systems are now widely accepted and employed as unit operation in industrial gas, chemical and allied industries. Following their successful commercialization in the late Seventies to recover hydrogen from ammonia purge gas streams, membrane-based systems have gained acceptance in a wide variety of applications

Effects of different petal thickness on gas sensing properties of flower-like WO3·H2O hierarchical architectures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng, Wen; Zhang, He; Wang, Zhongchang

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: In this work, we prepare four different petal thicknesses of hierarchical WO 3 ·H 2 O architectures via a simple hydrothermal process, and systematically report their formation mechanisms and gas-sensing properties. - Highlights: • Flower-like WO 3 ·H 2 O architectures with different petal thickness were reported. • The WO 3 ·H 2 O sheet-flower sensor shows a significantly enhanced gas response. • A possible growth mechanism for the flower-like architectures is proposed. - Abstract: Hierarchical architectures consisting of two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures are of great interest for potential use in recent year. Here, we report the successful synthesis of four hierarchical tungsten oxide flower-like architectures via a simple yet facile hydrothermal method. The as-prepared WO 3 ·H 2 O hierarchical architectures are in fact assembled with numerous nanosheets or nanoplates. Through a comprehensive characterization of microstructures and morphologies of the as-prepared products, we find that petal thickness is a key factor for affecting gas-sensing performances. We further propose a possible growth mechanism for the four flower-like architectures. Moreover, gas-sensing measurements showed that the well-defined sheet-flower WO 3 ·H 2 O hierarchical architectures exhibited the excellent gas-sensing properties to ethanol owing to their largest amount of thin petal structures and pores

Correlation between lateral size and gas sensing performance of MoSe2 nanosheets

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shaolin; Nguyen, Thuy Hang; Zhang, Weibin; Park, Youngsin; Yang, Woochul

2017-10-01

We demonstrate a facile synthetic method to prepare lateral size controlled molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) nanosheets using liquid phase exfoliated few-layer MoSe2 nanosheets as a starting material. By precisely controlling the centrifugation condition, preparation of MoSe2 nanosheets with a narrow size distribution ranging from several hundred nanometers to several micrometers could be realized. The accurate size control of MoSe2 nanosheets offers us a great opportunity to examine the size dependent sensing properties. The sensing test results demonstrate that the MoSe2 nanosheets provide competitive advantages compared with conventional graphene based sensors. A tradeoff phenomenon on sensing response and recovery as the lateral size of MoSe2 nanosheets varies is observed. First principles calculations reveal that the ratio of edge-surface sites is responsible for this phenomenon. The correlation between the lateral size and gas sensing performance of MoSe2 nanosheets is established.

Ammonia slip measurements on ships with NO{sub x} converters. A study of different techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fridell, Erik; Steen, Erica (IVL, Goeteborg (SE))

2007-12-15

A number of techniques to measure the concentration of ammonia in exhaust gas have been evaluated. The objective is to obtain reliable methods for measuring ammonia slip from ships equipped with SCR systems for cleaning of nitrogen oxide emissions. The methods tested are FTIR, laser absorption, a wet chemical method and a method where ammonia is oxidised into NO{sub x} over a catalyst. The laser method is an in-situ technique, where the transmitter and receiver are positioned on opposite flanges at the exhaust channel, while the other methods are ex-situ, i. e., a probe volume of gas is taken from the exhaust channel into the instrumentation. The laser method worked well in the field studies and gave results with high sensitivity and good time resolution. FTIR did not work well for low concentrations. The time resolution is good but with a delay. In cases with an uneven distribution of ammonia throughout the exhaust channel, the concentration will vary depending on the location of the probe. A strong influence of the oxygen concentration on the observed ammonia concentration was found in the laboratory study. The wet chemical method gave reliable results. The time resolution is poor and the method is sensitive to uneven distribution in the exhaust channel. The method with the oxidation catalyst worked well in the lab but not in field where the catalyst was deactivated, probably by sulphur

Uranium sesqui nitride synthesis and its use as catalyst for the thermo decomposition of ammonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rocha, Soraya Maria Rizzo da

1996-01-01

The preoccupation to have a secure destination for metallic uranium scraps and wastes and to search new non-nuclear uses for the huge amount of depleted metal uranium accumulated at the nuclear industry encouraged the study of the uranium sesqui nitride synthesis and its use. The use of uranium sesqui nitride as a catalyst for the thermo decomposition of ammonia for the hydrogen production has enormous significance. One of the most important nuclear cycle step is the reduction of the higher uranium oxides for the production of uranium dioxide and its conversion to uranium tetrafluoride. The reduction of the UO 3 and U 3 O 8 oxides is accomplished by the gas-solid reaction with elementary hydrogen. For economical purposes and for the safety concern the nuclear industry prefers to manufacture the hydrogen gas at the local and at the moment of use, exploring the catalytic decomposition of ammonia vapor. Using metallic uranium scraps as the raw material the obtention of its nitride was achieved by the reaction with ammonia. The results of the chemical and physical characterization of the prepared uranium sesqui nitride and its behavior as a catalyst for the cracking of ammonia are commented. A lower ammonia cracking temperature (550 deg C) using the uranium sesqui nitride compared with recommended industrial catalysts iron nitride (650 deg C) and manganese nitride (700 deg C) sounds reliable and economically advantageous. (author)

Acid Gas Removal from Natural Gas with Alkanolamines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sadegh, Negar

commercially for the removal of acid gas impurities from natural gas. Alkanolamines, simple combinations of alcohols and ammonia, are the most commonly used category of chemical solvents for acid gas capture. This Ph.D. project is aboutthermodynamics of natural gas cleaning process with alkanolamines......Some 40 % of the world’s remaining gas reserves are sour or acid, containing large quantities of CO2 and H2S and other sulfur compounds. Many large oil and gas fields have more than 10 mole % CO2 and H2S content. In the gas processing industry absorption with chemical solvents has been used...... pressure on acid gas solubility was also quantitatively investigated through both experimental and modeling approaches....

Ethanol gas sensing properties of Al2 O3 -doped ZnO thick film ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

WINTEC

ing temperature can affect the microstructure and gas sensing performance of the sensor. The efforts ... Amongst the women, the chances of breast cancer increase with alco- ... The aim of the present work is to develop the sensor by modifying ...

Modified Ammonia Removal Model Based on Equilibrium and Mass Transfer Principles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shanableh, A.; Imteaz, M.

2010-01-01

Yoon et al. 1 presented an approximate mathematical model to describe ammonia removal from an experimental batch reactor system with gaseous headspace. The development of the model was initially based on assuming instantaneous equilibrium between ammonia in the aqueous and gas phases. In the model, a 'saturation factor, β' was defined as a constant and used to check whether the equilibrium assumption was appropriate. The authors used the trends established by the estimated β values to conclude that the equilibrium assumption was not valid. The authors presented valuable experimental results obtained using a carefully designed system and the model used to analyze the results accounted for the following effects: speciation of ammonia between NH 3 and NH 4 + as a function of pH: temperature dependence of the reactions constants; and air flow rate. In this article, an alternative model based on the exact solution of the governing mass-balance differential equations was developed and used to describe ammonia removal without relying on the use of the saturation factor. The modified model was also extended to mathematically describe the pH dependence of the ammonia removal rate, in addition to accounting for the speciation of ammonia, temperature dependence of reactions constants, and air flow rate. The modified model was used to extend the analysis of the original experimental data presented by Yoon et al. 1 and the results matched the theory in an excellent manner