ISSN:
1662-9752
Source:
Scientific.Net: Materials Science & Technology / Trans Tech Publications Archiv 1984-2008
Topics:
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
Notes:
Due to the necessity of the automation and control of processes in agriculture, aswell as to the crescent interest for the environmental monitoring, efforts have been demandedin the development of more versatile, reliable sensors and sensor systems with smaller cost[1-2]. In this sense, the search of new materials, the modeling study of sensor and thedevelopment of new measurement techniques and processing of signs have been orientatingthe progress in this area [3-4]. In this work, the results of the characterization analyses ofsensor elements of ZrO2-TiO2 porous ceramic for application as soil humidity sensor, areshown and discussed. These ceramics were obtained from the mechanical mixture of ZrO2-TiO2 powders and sintered at 1000, 1100 and 1200 oC, for obtaining different porosities. Thecharacterization of the ceramic was carried out using measurements of B.E.T.; nitrogen andmercury porosimetry; scanning electronic microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The porousceramic characterization as soil humidity sensor element was accomplished throughcapacitance and impedance measurements using a RLC bridge. The ceramic sensor elementswere immersed in the selected and previously characterized soils, the humidities of whichwere defined in accordance with Atterberg limits, more exactly liquid limit. The resultsobtained for specific surface area, distribution curves of pore size, microstructure, crystallinephases and sensibility to the soil humidity showed that the ZrO2-TiO2 porous ceramic sinteredat 1100 oC presents a great potential to be applied as sensor element for soil humiditymonitoring
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://www.tib-hannover.de/fulltexts/2011/0528/02/14/transtech_doi~10.4028%252Fwww.scientific.net%252FMSF.530-531.414.pdf
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