Transaction Description:
MOST COMMERCIAL HUMIDITY SENSORS ON THE MARKET ARE POLYMER-BASED SENSORS. HOWEVER, THE POLYMER-BASED HUMIDITY SENSORS ARE NOT STABLE AT TEMPERATURES OF >80°C. WE FOUND THAT THE COMMERCIAL POLYMER-BASED HUMIDITY SENSORS SIGNIFICANTLY DRIFTED (8%) AFTER ONLY ONE MONTH OF EXPOSURE TO A HARSH ENVIRONMENT (TEMPERATURE AT 90°C AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY AT 80%). THIS LEVEL OF DRIFT LEADS TO AN UNDER-PERFORMED PATHOGEN CONTROL PROCESS AND THUS INCREASES THE RISK OF FOOD CONTAMINATION. THERE ARE NOT ANY HIGH-TEMPERAURE HUMIDITY SENSORS ON THE MARKET THAT CAN OPERATE AT TEMPERATURES OF >80°C WITH HIGH STABILITY. WE WILL CREATE A SOLID-STATE (NON-POLYMER) HUMIDITY SENSOR FOR FOOD INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS IN A HARSH ENVIRONMENT AT HIGH TEMPERATURES WITH HIGH STABILITY. WE WILL CARRY OUT PRELIMINARY STUDIES OF STABILITY OF SENSORS AT HIGH TEMPERATURES SIMILAR TO FOOD PROCESSING CONDITIONS. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO CREATE A DURABLE SOLID-STATE HUMIDITY SENSOR AND CALIBRATION METHODS FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY FOR HIGH-TEMPERATURE FOOD PROCESSING CONTROL AND MONITORING. THE SUCCESSFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE PROJECT WILL IMPROVE THE FOOD SAFETY AND THUS THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE.
