Work

Design, Fabrication and Validation of Chemical Sensors for Detecting Hydrocarbons to Facilitate Oil Spillage Remediation

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: To address the environmental hazards posed by oil spills and the limitations of conventional hydrocarbon monitoring techniques, a cost-effective and user-friendly gas sensor system was developed for the real-time detection and quantification of hydrocarbon contaminants in soil. This system utilizes carbon black (CB)-filled poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) nanocomposites to create chemoresistive sensors. The CB-PMMA and CB-PVC composites were synthesized and deposited as thin films onto interdigitated electrodes, with their morphologies characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The composites, optimized at a composition of 10% w/w CB and 90% w/w polymer, exhibited a sensitive response to hydrocarbon vapors across a tested range from C20 (99 ppmV) to C8 (8750 ppmV). The sensor’s response mechanism is primarily attributed to the swelling-induced resistance change of the amorphous polymer matrix in hydrocarbon vapors. These findings demonstrate the potential use of CB–polymer composites as field-deployable gas sensors, providing a rapid and efficient alternative to traditional gas chromatography methods for monitoring soil remediation efforts and mitigating the environmental impact of oil contamination.

Source: Chemosensors

DOI: 10.3390/chemosensors13040140

Authors: Perpetual Eze-Idehen, Krishna Persaud

Institution: University of Manchester

Language: English

Topic: Gas Sensing Nanomaterials and Sensors

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,413

Funder: Schlumberger Foundation