Measuring gas levels
First Claim
1. A method for measuring the amount of a predetermined gas in a gaseous mixture using an electrochemical cell having a working electrode, a counter electrode, and an electrolyte, said method comprisingcontacting said gaseous mixture with said working electrode, and means for inhibiting the reduction of oxygen at said working electrode,adsorbing an anion on said working electrode sufficiently strongly to resist its own displacement by oxygen but not so strongly as to resist its own displacement by said predetermined gas,while said anion is adsorbed, applying a potential across said electrodes and cycling said applied potential, said cycling including an anodic sweep of said applied potential over a range between a potential level at which said predetermined gas in said gaseous mixture adsorbs onto said working electrode and a potential level at which said adsorbed predetermined gas is oxidized, said applied potential range including potentials at which oxygen is subject to reduction, andmeasuring the current resulting from said anodic sweep.
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Abstract
A method for measuring the amount of an electroactive gas in a gaseous mixture using an electrochemical cell, the cell including a working electrode (anode), counter electrode (cathode), an electrolyte in which oxygen reduction is inhibited, means for applying a variable potential across the electrodes, and means for measuring current flow between the electrode, the method involving contacting the gaseous mixture with the anode, applying a potential across the anode and cathode and cycling the applied potential between a potential level at which the gas in the gaseous mixture adsorbs onto the anode and a potential level at which the adsorbed gas in the gaseous mixture is oxidized, and measuring the current resulting from the anodic sweep portion of the potential cycle as a measure of the amount of the adsorbed gas in the gaseous mixture.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method for measuring the amount of a predetermined gas in a gaseous mixture using an electrochemical cell having a working electrode, a counter electrode, and an electrolyte, said method comprising
contacting said gaseous mixture with said working electrode, and means for inhibiting the reduction of oxygen at said working electrode, adsorbing an anion on said working electrode sufficiently strongly to resist its own displacement by oxygen but not so strongly as to resist its own displacement by said predetermined gas, while said anion is adsorbed, applying a potential across said electrodes and cycling said applied potential, said cycling including an anodic sweep of said applied potential over a range between a potential level at which said predetermined gas in said gaseous mixture adsorbs onto said working electrode and a potential level at which said adsorbed predetermined gas is oxidized, said applied potential range including potentials at which oxygen is subject to reduction, and measuring the current resulting from said anodic sweep.
Specification