EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS ON NANOSIZED FERRIC OXIDE AND ITS LPG SENSING

Abstract

Nanosized particles of α- Fe 2 O 3 in the range of 17–64 nm were synthesized via hydroxide precipitation. The synthesized powder was investigated by XRD employing CuK α radiation and 2θ geometry. SEM images show the nanosheet like morphology. The pellet of this sensing material was made by hydraulic press under a uniaxial pressure of 616 MPa. The LPG sensing properties of α- Fe 2 O 3 were investigated at room temperature for different exposure times of LPG. A maximum value of sensitivity and sensor response were found 3 and 213%, respectively for an exposure time of 300 s. Electrical properties of α- Fe 2 O 3 in air were also investigated by measuring temperature–resistance (R–T) characteristics and plotting them as Arrhenius plot. Activation energy was calculated by thermal resistance method and found to have a value 1.07 eV.