Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad and Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur have developed materials that can detect hydrogen leak with high sensitivity.
The research team has synthesized a semiconductor material that can be used as a sensitive detector of hydrogen.
Collaborative work
The work by the IIT Hyderabad and IIT Jodhpur team would help in the development of reliable and robust hydrogen sensors with high sensitivity and quick response, for domestic and industrial applications. The results of the collaborative research have been published recently in the reputed peer-reviewed journal ‘Sensors and Actuators.’
The paper was co-authored by Dr. Chandra Shekhar Sharma, Associate Professor, Creative and Advanced Research Based On Nanomaterials (CARBON) Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad, and Dr. Mahesh Kumar, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Jodhpur, and research scholars Vijendra Singh Bhati, Akash Nathani and Adarsh Nigam.
Dr. Chandra Shekhar Sharma said the importance of hydrogen had grown tremendously because of its promise as a primary energy source with potential to become a panacea for clean energy generation. However, there were two problems associated with the gas — it is difficult to produce and hard to detect, and because hydrogen is inflammable, leaks can be catastrophic if not detected immediately.
The researchers attempted to solve the problem through collaborative research. Dr. Mahesh Kumar explained that the explosive range (4–75%) and low ignition energy of hydrogen made leaks very dangerous. “Human beings can’t sense hydrogen because it is colourless and odourless, which makes it essential to develop tools and sensors to detect hydrogen.”
The authors said many kinds of hydrogen sensors were being studied, including optical, electrochemical and electrical sensors. Electrical sensors, in particular resistive sensors, were closest to practicality due to low cost, simple design and possibility of good sensitivity.
Dr. Mahesh Kumar said, “Certain materials undergo a change in their electrical resistance when they come in contact with specific gases. For example, metal oxide semiconductors such as zinc oxide show changes in their electrical resistance when they come in contact with hydrogen.”
“The sensitivity of zinc oxide response to hydrogen depends upon its surface area - the larger the surface area, or the smaller the particles, the better its sensitivity.”