Monitoring Applications of Ammonia Sensors in Industry
With the improvement of people’s living standards and the rapid development of industrial economy, the emissions of ammonia into the atmosphere from various industries across China have been rising in recent years. The growing ammonia concentration has exerted an increasingly prominent impact on the climate. On the one hand, atmospheric ammonia reacts with gaseous pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides to form secondary aerosol particles, which absorb and scatter light and reduce atmospheric visibility. On the other hand, atmospheric ammonia acts as a greenhouse gas and affects ambient temperature. Accordingly, the market demand for gas sensors keeps growing steadily. The research and development of gas sensors, especially ammonia sensors capable of detecting toxic and harmful gases, have achieved rapid progress.
Ammonia is a colorless gas with a strong pungent odor. It is lighter than air and highly soluble in water, forming alkaline ammonia water. In laboratories, ammonia is commonly prepared by heating a solid mixture of ammonium chloride and slaked lime, with calcium chloride and water as by-products.
Ammonia boasts vital industrial applications, yet it poses severe health hazards in households and offices. Short-term inhalation of high-concentration ammonia may cause symptoms such as lacrimation, sore throat, hoarseness and cough, accompanied by dizziness and nausea. Severe cases may develop pulmonary edema and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Excessive or long-term ammonia exposure may lead to skin pigmentation and finger ulcers in some people. After entering the lungs, ammonia easily penetrates alveoli into the bloodstream, binds with hemoglobin and impairs oxygen transport capacity. Therefore, alkaline substances cause more severe damage to human tissues than acidic substances. Excessively high blood ammonia concentration may further trigger cardiac arrest and even threaten human life. Then where does indoor and workplace ammonia come from?
Relevant experts point out that ammonia mainly originates from concrete admixtures used in construction projects, which fall into two main categories. The first source is urea-based concrete antifreeze agents added to cement for winter construction. Such ammonia releases slowly from laminates and cement, resulting in long-term indoor ammonia pollution, which is prevalent in northern China. The second source refers to high-alkali concrete expanding agents and early-strength agents applied to accelerate concrete solidification, the primary cause of ammonia pollution in southern China. In addition, indoor ammonia also derives from interior decoration materials. Most additives and brighteners used for furniture finishing contain ammonia water, which has become a common product in the building materials market.
Ammonia features a strong irritating smell, with a density of 0.7710 and a relative density of 0.5971 (air = 1.00). It can be easily liquefied into colorless liquid under normal temperature and pressure (critical temperature: 132.4℃, critical pressure: 11.2 MPa, equivalent to 112.2 atmospheres), and solidified into snow-like solids with a melting point of -77.75℃. It is soluble in water, ethanol and ether. Ammonia decomposes into nitrogen and hydrogen at high temperatures with reducing properties, and can be oxidized into nitric oxide with the presence of catalysts. It is widely used to produce liquid ammonia, ammonia water, nitric acid, ammonium salts and amines, and can be directly synthesized from nitrogen and hydrogen. Ammonia can irritate and burn the mucous membranes of human skin, eyes and respiratory organs; excessive inhalation may cause pulmonary swelling and even death.
Since harmful ammonia may exist in our living and working surroundings, effective improvement measures are urgently needed. In this context, ammonia sensors are applied to detect ambient ammonia concentration. Combined with linkage control systems, they help optimize the environment and realize effective safety protection.
At present, detection with ammonia sensor elements is one of the most widely adopted gas sensing technologies. Simply put, ammonia sensors work based on electrochemical principles, calculating the concentration of target gas by measuring induced current intensity.
Shenzhen Wuliang Sensor Technology Co., Ltd. mainly supplies British imported DDS electrochemical ammonia sensors. Featuring no bias voltage requirement, these sensors are easy to use and cost-effective, making them ideal and reliable detection devices for staff working in harsh environments.
Core Features of Ammonia Sensors
Optional measuring ranges: 0-100ppm, 0-300ppm, 0-1000ppm
Overload resistance: 200ppm, 500ppm, 1500ppm correspondingly
Excellent stability (Series 4 and Series 7 available)
Strong environmental adaptability
These sensors are designed to detect and display real-time ammonia gas concentration. Equipped with microprocessor control units and high-performance electrochemical sensing cores, they deliver high sensitivity and fast response speed. The supporting ammonia gas alarm system consists of alarm controllers and detectors, which can trigger timely sound alarms once ammonia concentration exceeds safety thresholds. The products are widely applied in metallurgy, petroleum, petrochemical, chemical, light industry, coking, municipal engineering, gas supply, pharmaceutical manufacturing, sewage treatment and many other special industries.
In conclusion, ammonia is a substance with both extensive practical values and potential dangers. Despite its important roles in various fields, its biological toxicity has been fully confirmed by scientific research, becoming a hidden threat to human health. Its adverse environmental impacts also deserve greater attention. With the continuous upgrading of gas sensor technology, new application scenarios and market demands will keep emerging, driving the steady development of the gas sensor industry. Such technological progress will bring users eco-friendly, safe, healthy, convenient and high-value application experiences, bringing tangible benefits to the general public.
