Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 January 2011
The present investigation deals with the electrical response of doped SnO2 to improve the selectivity for liquid petroleum gas (LPG) in the presence of CO and CH4, by utilizing noble metal sensitizers such as Pd, Pt, and Rh. SnO2 with the addition of Pd (1.5 wt. %) or Pt (1.5 wt. %) sintered at 800 °C which have shown high sensitivity toward LPG with no cross interference of CO and CH4 at an operating temperature of 350 °C. The results suggest the possibility of utilizing the sensor for the detection of this hydrocarbon gaseous mixture. X-ray diffraction studies have been carried out to evaluate the crystallite size as a function of sintering temperature; x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies have been carried out to define the possible chemical species involved in the gas-solid interaction and the sensitivity enhancing mechanism of the SnO2/Pd sensor element toward LPG.