Understanding the response behavior of potentiometric gas sensors for non-equilibrium gas mixtures

Many applications of gas sensors require concentration measurements of reactive gases in mixtures that are out of thermodynamic equilibrium. These applications include: hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuel gas sensors operating in ambient air for explosion hazard detection, carbon monoxide detection in ambient air for health protection, combustion efficiency sensors for stoichiometry control, and nitric oxide sensors for air pollution monitoring. Many potentiometric and amperometric electrochemical sensor technologies have been developed for these applications. A class of the potentiometric sensors developed for gas mixtures are the non-Nerstian sensors. This presentation defines a categorization and theoretical analysis of three distinct electrochemical processes that can produce a non-Nernstian sensor response.