Detection of toluene diisocyanate with a coated quartz piezoelectric crystal: Part 3. Practical coatings for a humidity-corrected detector

Dithizone and tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) were tested as coatings for quartz piezoelectric crystals to be used in a detector for touene diisocyanate (TDI). Cobalt(II) chloride and polyethylene glycol (PEG) with molecular weights of 400 and 1540 were tested for suitability as coatings for detecting humidity variations so that correction for humidity could be obtained from a two-crystal system. Sensitivities for TDI of 12 and 75 Hz ppm^?1 were found with dithizone and TOPO, respectively, between 0 and 1 ppm TDI. Cobalt chloride-coated crystals showed a sensitivity for water of 0.053 Hz ppm^?1 at 8000 ppm water and about 40 Hz ppm^?1 for TDI at the 2 ppm level. PEG-400 and PEG-1540 provided sensitivities to water of 0.038 and 0.051 Hz ppm^?1 respectively, and the response was linear over the range 9000—13 000 ppm water. All coatings showed irreversible behaviour towards TDI.