Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Inexpensive Formaldehyde Sensor for Indoor Air Quality Application
EPA Contract Number: EPD17029Title: Inexpensive Formaldehyde Sensor for Indoor Air Quality Application
Investigators: Weber, Andrew
Small Business: Giner Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 2017 through February 28, 2018
Project Amount: $99,998
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2017) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , SBIR - Air and Climate
Description:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified the need for portable, accurate and rugged formaldehyde (FA) gas monitors for use in residential Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) applications. Based on this important need Giner, Inc. (Giner) proposed to design and develop a novel, continuous unattended and/or hand held electrochemical FA monitor that is free of toxic and corrosive electrolytes, cost-effective (<$100 per unit to manufacture for quantities greater than 10,000 units) and capable of detecting and monitoring formaldehyde levels in the range of 50 to 2000 parts per billion (ppb).
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
During the Phase I feasibility study, complete prototype microsensors were designed, fabricated, and tested for quantitative detection of FA. The microsensor comprised of a solid-polymer electrolyte membrane pressed against a commercially available three-electrode screen-printed chip (thick-film sensing, counter, and reference electrodes) and associated components (liquid reservoir and gas access ports). The performance of the microsensors was thoroughly evaluated for detection of 0-2000 parts-per-billion (ppb) FA in air mixtures.
Conclusions:
The Phase I developmental work successfully achieved the proposed technical objectives and demonstrated:
- Feasibility of FA detection utilizing a miniature (0.5″ x 1.5″) screen-printed electrode substrate and solid-polymer electrolyte-based thick-film sensor technology.
- Feasibility of a small (1.5″ x 2.0″ x 0.5″) prototype formaldehyde microsensor module that house the screen-printed electrode assembly.
- Linear FA detection in the range of 50 to 2000 ppb.
- Rapid detection of FA in ~45 seconds (T90 – defined as the time it takes for the response signal to reach 90% of full response).
- No or minimal interference from water vapor, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, methane, ethane, ethylene, ethanol, sodium hypochlorite (Clorox - headspace vapor) and glass cleaners (Windex - headspace vapor).
- Feasibility of formaldehyde detection in the temperature and relative humidity (RH) range of +15°C to +35°C and 10% to 75% RH, respectively.
- Paper design of a small (6”x4”x1.5”) Phase II wireless formaldehyde monitor for individual and/or area IAQ monitoring applications. In area monitoring applications microsensor nodes are envisioned to be dispersed in a building. In this scenario, a small base station will be used as the gateway between the sensor network and the monitoring network.
SBIR Phase II:
Inexpensive Formaldehyde Sensors for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Applications | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.