SBIR Phase II: Reference Electrode with an Invariant Liquid Junction Potential

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将开发一种寿命长、稳定的参比电极，可显著改善电位测量，如pH值、氧化还原和其他离子特定测量。 新的参比电极利用了微流体和纳米技术的最新发展，以稳定液体结电位，这是误差的来源，也是频繁校准和维护传感器的原因。稳定参比电极的液接电位开辟了电位传感器设计和应用的新领域。该创新电极的技术可行性已在第一阶段项目中得到证明。 在各种环境中的测试显示，在8小时内参比电极电位的变化小于0.5 mV，响应时间小于60秒，而传统参比电极的电位变化高达20 mV，响应时间超过1小时。 电解液通过连接处的流量小于0.1升/分钟，或连续运行每年50毫升。 第二阶段项目将开发装配工艺，更坚固的结构，并开发和制造用于现场测试的传感器。潜在的商业应用减少了传感器校准和传感器更换，这将为美国过程工业每年节省约2.4亿美元的传感器成本和劳动力费用。美国制造的传感器的出口将显着增加，因为外国加工行业寻求类似的成本节约。 此外，这种参比电极可以作为微流体传感器的基本构建模块，估计在未来十年内将成为数十亿美元的产业。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a long-lived, stable reference electrode that dramatically improves potentiometric measurements, such as pH, redox, and other ion-specific measurements. The new reference electrode exploits recent developments in microfluidics and nanotechnology to stabilize the liquid-junction potential, a source of error and a cause of frequent sensor calibration and maintenance. Stabilizing the liquid-junction potential of the reference electrode opens a new realm of potentiometric sensor design and application. The technical feasibility of this innovative electrode was demonstrated in the Phase I project. Testing in a variety of environments showed variations less than 0.5 mV in the reference electrode potential over an 8 hour period and response times less than 60 seconds, compared to potential variations up to 20 mV and response times of over an hour for conventional reference electrodes. The flow of electrolyte through the junction was less than 0.1 l per minute, or 50 ml per year of continuous operation. The Phase II project will develop assembly processes, more robust structures, and develop and build sensors for field-tests.The potential commercial application reduction in sensor calibration and sensor replacement which would save the US process industries approximately $240 million per year in sensor costs and labor expenses. Exports of US manufactured sensors with this technology will significantly increase as foreign process industries seek similar cost savings. Furthermore, this reference electrode can serve as a basic building block in microfluidic sensors, estimated to be a multi-billion dollar industry in the next decade.