Development of Robust NOx Monitor

70832 NOx is an unwanted by-product from combustion equipment, gas turbines, incinerators, kilns, and power plants. There is a need for the continuous monitoring of NOx in the presence of other combustion products, in the range 200-800¿C, and in various utility plant locations. This project will develop a robust, all-ceramic, planar NOx sensing device based on the principles of mixed potential in a solid-state ionic system. In particular, nanoscale ceramic oxides and metals exhibiting preferential catalytic behavior towards NOx in a combustion zone using a solid electrolyte will be developed and utilized. In Phase I, several nanoscale metal oxides, along with their intimate physical mixtures and stoichimetric compounds, will be synthesized and evaluated in a simple planar galvanic cell configuration. The physical properties (particle size, surface area, porosity, and electrocatalytic capacity) of various electrode materials will be correlated with sensor output (in terms of signal magnitude, reversibility, and stability) as a function of temperature and NOx concentration, and the most promising material combination will be selected. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: Commercial applications include fast, in-situ online detection and quantification of NOx in such industries as chemical, pharmaceutical, electronics, biomedical, health and environmental protection and preservation.