SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING AND IDENTIFYING CONTAMINANTS IN A GASEOUS ENVIRONMENT

• US 20120245043A1
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Purafil, Inc. (FGI Equity LLC)
• Original Assignee: Purafil, Inc. (FGI Equity LLC)
• Inventors: England, William G.
• Application Number:
  US13/426,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20120245043A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 506/7
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 17/00 Investigating resistance of materials to the weather, to corrosion, or to light

Abstract

A method for identifying a contaminant in an environment includes providing a sensor array, the sensor array including a plurality of sensing platforms, each of the sensing platforms including a corrodible metal. A reaction is detected on the corrodible metal on one or more of the sensing platforms to identify a reaction pattern, and the reaction pattern is compared to known reaction characteristics of the corrodible metals. Based on this comparison, the contaminant, such as a corrosive gas, can be identified. The sensing platform may include a quartz crystal microbalance or a nanostructure. In some features, at least one of the corrodible metals includes gold, and a detected reaction of the gold corrodible metal indicates the presence of adverse temperature or humidity conditions in the environment.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a contaminant in an environment, comprising:

providing a sensor array, the sensor array comprising a plurality of sensing platforms, each of the sensing platforms comprising a corrodible metal;

detecting a reaction on the corrodible metal on one or more of the sensing platforms to identify a reaction pattern;

comparing the reaction pattern to known reaction characteristics of the corrodible metals; and

identifying the contaminant based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing platform is a quartz crystal microbalance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing platform is a nanostructure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the nanostructure is selected from the group consisting of a microcantilever, a nanotube, a carbon nanotube, a nanoparticle, a nanoball, a nanocantilever and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrodible metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, silver, cobalt, permalloy, aluminum, gold, zinc, platinum, molybdenum, titanium, tungsten, nickel, alloys of these metals, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor array comprises at least 6 sensing platforms.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor array comprises at least 3 sensing platforms.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor array comprises at least 4 sensing platforms.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor array comprises at least 5 sensing platforms.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor array comprises from 3 to 12 sensing platforms.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor array comprises from 4 to 9 sensing platforms.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor array comprises from 5 to 8 sensing platforms.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the corrodible metals comprises gold, and wherein a detected reaction of the gold corrodible metal indicates the presence of adverse temperature or humidity conditions in the environment.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the contaminant comprises a corrosive gas, adverse temperature conditions, adverse humidity conditions, or combinations thereof.