Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) have developed a multi-sensor system that assesses water quality for humans and the environment.
Alongside key parameters such as conductivity and pH, the evaluation of ions such as nitrate, phosphate and potassium is particularly important in environmental analysis, agriculture and water management.
A team at Fraunhofer IPMS’s Chemical Sensors Business Unit has been working on the development of ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFET) and capacitive conductivity sensors that can be seamlessly integrated into environmental measurement systems. They have also developed innovative control electronics that enable the sensors to be used flexibly and in an energy-efficient way.
“The low drift of less than 20 µV/h, the wide addressable pH range from pH 1 to pH 13 as well as the extremely small hysteresis and low light sensitivity make our pH sensors unique,” said Dr Olaf Hild, Head of the Chemical Sensors Business Unit. “Added to this is their impressive mechanical stability.”
The team’s conductivity sensors have a measuring range of 10 µS/cm to 100 mS/cm, making them useful for a variety of environmental analysis applications. These sensors can also be adapted to customer-specific requirements, both sensory and electrical.
Fraunhofer IPMS has developed these technologies to help increase the efficiency and precision of environmental analysis and to open up new possibilities for individual applications in various industries. The developed electronics, together with the ISFETs and the conductivity sensors, will be presented at the analytica trade fair from 9–12 April in Munich, where interested users will have the opportunity to examine the instruments’ performance and discuss specific requirements for their individual purposes.
