阅读说明：本技术 电化学气体传感器 (Electrochemical gas sensor ) 是由 刘玲 张艳 郑茜 于 2015-05-27 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及电化学气体传感器。气体检测器包括电化学气体传感器。该传感器包括多个电极。电极中的至少一个电极由催化剂/粘合剂浆形成,所述催化剂/粘合剂浆被半色调印刷到衬底上。烧结合成印刷的元件和衬底以形成电极。(The present invention relates to electrochemical gas sensors. The gas detector comprises an electrochemical gas sensor. The sensor includes a plurality of electrodes. At least one of the electrodes is formed from a catalyst/binder paste that is half-tone printed onto a substrate. The resultant printed element and substrate are sintered to form an electrode.)

1. A method, comprising:

heating a slurry comprising at least a catalyst and a binder;

halftoning the heated slurry onto a substrate in a predetermined shape, the substrate having porosity;

sintering the printed shape and substrate; and is

The sintered shape and the substrate are incorporated as electrodes into an electrochemical gas sensor,

wherein the components of the slurry include platinum black, graphite, and a perfluorinated ion electrolyte solution.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the response time of the electrochemical gas sensor comprising the composition is less than 30 seconds for 20.9% oxygen in air.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the catalyst comprises at least one of: platinum, platinum black, a mixture of graphite and platinum, a mixture of carbon and platinum black, a noble metal, or mixtures thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesive comprises at least one of: a perfluorinated ion electrolyte solution or a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and sulfonic acid.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the response time of an electrochemical gas sensor comprising the electrode is between 24 and 47 seconds for 20.9% oxygen in air.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the catalyst to the binder is between 4:1 and 7.5: 1.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the catalyst comprises 80% by weight of platinum black and 20% by weight of graphite.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrode is a sensing electrode.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition of the slurry comprises 75% by weight of platinum black, 10% by weight of graphite, and 15% by weight of a perfluorinated ion electrolyte solution.

Technical Field

The present application relates to electrochemical gas sensors and gas detectors incorporating such sensors. More particularly, the present application pertains to such sensors that may be formed in part by printing.

Background

Electrochemical gas sensors are well known for detecting and quantifying toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, oxygen, and the like. Such sensors may be implemented using electrochemical cells. Such cells operate in a current measuring mode that provides a current output that is related to the concentration of a particular analyte gas.

Such sensors typically include sensing electrodes. Known electrodes are made by solution-based methods.

In such solution-based processes, the catalyst is initially dispersed ultrasonically in an aqueous solution to form a suspension. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is added to the suspension to form a flocculated mixture. The flocculated mixture is then transferred to a substrate, which is sintered at elevated temperature. The sintered mixture is then transferred to a microporous PTFE membrane and then pressurized. Not only does the proportion of PTFE in the electrode affect the gas diffusion parameters in the sensor, it also supports the electrocatalyst and maximises the interface between the catalyst, gas and electrolyte where critical electrochemical processes occur.

As is apparent, many steps are required to fabricate the electrodes in this solution-based approach. The results include high manufacturing costs, material costs, and labor costs.

Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates a gas detector according thereto;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating aspects of a method according thereto;

FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating a graph for a mixture including GEFC-IES and platinumElectrodes of compounds against O in air₂A graph of response time of (c);

FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating response time for CO in air for an electrode comprising a mixture of GEFC-IES and platinum; and

FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the O in air for an electrode comprising a mixture of GEFC-IES, platinum, and graphite₂Graph of response time of (a).

Detailed Description

While the disclosed embodiments can take many different forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles thereof, as well as the best mode of practicing same, and is not intended to limit the claims to the specific embodiment illustrated.

In one aspect, an electrochemical gas sensor with improved productivity can be advantageously implemented using screen printing techniques. The catalyst paste or formulation (receiver) may be screen printed or half tone printed on the electrode film by a printer and then sintered.

The printed element can then be used as an electrode of an electrochemical sensor. Exemplary types of sensors include O₂A sensor or a CO sensor. On the other hand, alternative types of sensors according to this include, without limitation, oxygen pumps and toxic gas sensors.

The pulp can be made simply and quickly without any need for complex equipment. The slurry may include a catalyst, a binder, and a diluent. Unlike the known processes, the screen printing method according to this has fewer steps.

The catalyst may be platinum, platinum black, a mixture of graphite and platinum, a mixture of carbon and platinum black, a noble metal, mixtures thereof.

Perfluorinated ion electrolyte solutions (copolymers of GEFC-IES perfluorosulfonic acid and PTFE) commercially available from gold Energy Fuel Cell Co., Ltd or N commercially available from Dupont systemsSolutions of afion (tetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) and perfluoro-3, 6-dioxo-4-methyl-7-octene-sulfonic acid) may be used as the adhesive. Ethylene glycol or other similar chemicals may be used as a diluent to form a catalyst slurry, formulation or catalyst system, which may be printed on the PTFE membrane by a printer. The printed element is sintered at elevated temperatures to form electrodes, which may be used, for example, in O₂Sensors or CO sensors.

The GEFC-IES or Nafion function is the function of the adhesive. Its proportion in the electrodes not only affects the gas diffusion parameters in the sensor, but also supports the electrocatalyst and maximizes the interface between catalyst, gas and electrolyte, where critical electrochemical processes occur. The pastes made from GEFC-IES or Nafion @, were suitable for use in halftone screen printing.

As shown in fig. 1, an exemplary oxygen sensor 10 may be carried in a housing 12 and include a gas diffusion sensing or working electrode 14, a reference electrode 16, and a counter electrode 18. As described in detail below, one or more of the electrodes may be formed by a printing process. The electrodes need not be identical.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, electrodes formed by the present printing-based process may be incorporated into gas detectors, such as detector 30. The detector 30 may include a housing 34 that carries the sensor 10 and the electrodes 14-18 fabricated as described herein. Control circuitry 36 may be coupled to the electrodes to make the gas concentration determination. An audio and/or visual output device 38 may be provided to alert the user to the currently sensed gas concentration.

Fig. 2 illustrates aspects of a method 100 according thereto. A slurry including a platinum catalyst along with ethylene glycol and GEFC solution is mixed together to obtain a homogeneous mixture, as at 102. The slurry is then heated to a specified volume, as at 104.

The screen printable catalyst is then halftone printed onto the PTFE sheet using a printer, as at 106. The printed element or shape is then sintered at a predetermined temperature, as at 108, to obtain an electrode that can be used as a sensing electrode, a reference electrode, or a counter electrode, as at 110.

According to this, the electrode catalyst may be made of 80% by weight of platinum black and 20% by weight of GEFC-IES binder. The binder in the slurry not only affects the gas diffusion parameters in the sensor, it also supports the platinum electrocatalyst and maximizes the interface between the catalyst, gas and electrolyte where critical electrochemical processes occur.

With respect to FIG. 1, sensor 10 may be implemented as O using electrodes created by process 100 described above₂A sensor or a CO sensor.

In operation, in the use for O₂At the sensing electrode of the sensor, O₂Is reduced:

O₂＋4H⁺＋4e^- → 2H₂O （1）

at the counter electrode, there is a counter-equilibrium oxidation:

2H₂O → 4H⁺＋O₂＋4e^- （2）。

FIG. 3 illustrates the O for 20.9% in air for the catalyst material described above₂And N₂O of (A) to (B)₂Graph of sensor response over time. At the sensing electrode for the CO sensor, CO is oxidized:

CO＋H₂O→ CO₂ 2H⁺＋4e^- （3）

at the counter electrode, there is a counter-equilibrium reduction:

O₂＋4H⁺＋4e^- → 2H₂O （4）。

FIG. 4 illustrates a graph of the response over time for air and 50ppm carbon monoxide by using a mixture of GEFC-IES and platinum as the sensing electrode formed by screen printing.

In another example, a predetermined ratio of platinum and graphite is mixed together with ethylene glycol and a GEFC-IES solution to obtain a homogeneous mixture. The slurry is then heated to a predetermined volume. The catalyst was then halftone printed on the PTFE sheet using a printer. After printingAnd then sintering the printed element at a predetermined temperature to obtain a sintered element that can be used as a catalyst for O₂A sensing electrode of the sensor, a reference electrode, or an electrode of the counter electrode.

The electrode catalyst in this second example was made of 75% by weight of platinum black, 10% by weight of graphite, and 15% by weight of GEFC-IES binder. FIG. 5 illustrates the results for the second catalyst material for the presence of air and N₂O in (1)₂Graph of sensor response over time.

In summary, the electrode manufacturing process using the screen printing method disclosed above has fewer steps than the known process. First, a catalyst (e.g., platinum black or a mixture of carbon and platinum black or other noble metal catalyst) was mixed with GEFC-IES or Nafion ® or a mixture of GFEC-IES and Nafion @. Then, ethylene glycol was added to form a slurry by stirring.

The electrode shape may then be screen printed on a PTFE membrane and sintered at elevated temperatures. By using this screen printing process, a platinum electrode usable in both the sensor and the CO sensor can be formed.

The skilled artisan will also appreciate that the diagrams of fig. 3-5 are merely illustrative and not limiting. Variations in the electrode structure may result in different response times without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

Moreover, the logic flows depicted in the figures do not require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. Other steps may be provided, or steps may be eliminated, from the described flows, and other components may be added to, or removed from, the described embodiments.