• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 2006

Thick film $H_2$ sensors were fabricated using $SnO_2$ loaded with $Ag_2O$ and $PtO_x$. The composition that gave the highest sensitivity for $H_2$ was in the weight% ratio of $SnO_2 : PtO_x : Ag_2O$ as 93 : 1 : 6. The nano-crystalline powders of $SnO_2$ synthesized by sol-gel method were screen printed with $Ag_2O$ and $PtO_x$ on alumina substrates. The fabricated sensors were tested against gases like $H_2$, $CH_4$, $C_3H_8$, $C_2H_5OH$ and $SO_2$. The composite material was found sensitive against $H_2$ at the working temperature $130^{\circ}C$, with minor interference of other gases. The $H_2$ gas as low as 100 ppm can be detected by the present fabricated sensors. It was found that the sensors based on $SnO_2-Ag_2O-PtO_x$ system exhibited the high performance, high selectivity and very short response time to $H_2$ at ppm level. These characteristics make the sensor to be a promising candidate for detecting low concentrations of $H_2$.