Determination of low chlorine concentrations in air using semiconductor chemical sensors

Comparative studies of electophysical gas-sensitive properties of semiconductor metal oxides (NiO, WO₃, and In₂O₃) in detecting trace concentrations of chlorine in air at 250–300°C were performed. WO₃ and In₂O₃ film sensors were found to have the best sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. However, WO₃ films are characterized by a longer relaxation time (3 min) compared to In₂O₃ films, for which it is no longer than 30 s. The kinetic and steady-state relative conductivity values of In₂O₃ films as functions of the chlorine concentration in air fall on the same curve in the range 0.01–0.7 ppm. This suggests that the concentration of chlorine in air can be determined from the initial rates of the variation of the relative conductivity of films, which significantly decreases the time of analysis (from 40 to 5 s at a sensor working temperature of 300°C). Changes in air humidity in the range from 40 to 80% have no effect on the initial rates of the variation of the relative conductivity of In₂O₃ films under kinetic conditions. The mechanism of the variation of In₂O₃ film conductivity in detecting chlorine in air was discussed.