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US 5,393,392 AGranted
Polarographic PPB oxygen gas sensor
AssigneeDelta F Corporation
InventorRobert J. Masi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A polarographic electrochemical cell for the measurement of oxygen in ppb. The cathode in the system is a non-depleting carbon polytetrafluoroethylene electrode catalytically specific for oxygen reduction. The anode is a composite nickel matrix. The reaction at the anode is an electrochemical oxidation reaction but there are no soluble byproducts that contaminate the electrode. The reaction at the anode is a simple oxidation, state-of-change of the nickel in the nickel composite matrix.
Claims32
A method for measuring the amount of oxygen in a gas which includes:
- establishing in an electrolyte an electrolytic path between sensing electrodes comprising a cathode and a metal composite anode;
- flowing the gaseous stream in contacting relationship with the cathode;
- reducing the oxygen at the cathode to form hydroxyl ions;
- reacting electrically the hydroxyl ions at the metal composite anode to oxidize the metal anode, the metal anode characterized in that no discrete chemical reaction byproducts are formed and its potential remains stable;
- establishing a current which current is linear to the rate at which the oxygen is reduced at the cathode;
- and
- measuring said current.
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A system for measuring the amount of oxygen in a gas which comprises:
- an electrochemical cell having a metal anode and a cathode and an electrolyte;
- means to apply a polarographic potential to the anode to control the cathodic potential;
- means to establish an electrolytic path between the cathode and the anode;
- means to meter the gas to the cathode;
- means to reduce the oxygen at the cathode to form hydroxyl ions;
- means to oxidize the metal anode, the anode characterized in that no discrete chemical reaction byproducts are formed and to establish a current which current is linear to the rate at which the oxygen is reduced at the cathode;
- and
- means to measure the oxygen reduced.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.