Abstract-Growth of solid polymer electrolytes is driven by their tremendous technological applications. Therefore, solid-state polymer electrolyte have been prepared by solutioncasting method by using poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO), KClO 4 salt and Nano filler Al 2 O 3 . The complexation of poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO), KClO4and Al2O3 have been studied by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), IR and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Solid state electrochemical carbon monoxide gas sensors have been fabricated by using polymer electrolytes (PEO+ KClO4) and (PEO+ KClO 4 +Nano filler Al 2 O 3 ) and studied their sensitivities at different temperatures, and at different carbon monoxide gas concentrations. From these studies it is concluded that nano filler added polymer electrolytes sensor have more sensitivity when compared to the polymer electrolytes without nano filler.Index Terms-Polymer, poly (ethylene oxide), x-ray diffraction, gas sensor.
I. INTRODUCTIONOver the last few decades, a considerable amount of research work has been reported on solid polymer electrolytes due to the technological advantages, such as long self-life, extreme miniaturization, wide temperature range of operation and they can be prepared easily with low cost. These solids exhibit appreciable high ionic conductivities at their operating temperatures [1]- [5]. Polymer electrolytes can be shaped in the form of thin film, there by reducing the internal resistance leading to gas sensing material application. A few of reports are materialized on proton conducting polymer electrolytes and their application to gas sensors. No attempts were witnessed for the preparation of sensors using ionic conductors. Keeping these aspects in view, the authors are used (PEO+ KClO 4 ) and (PEO+ KClO 4 +Nano filler Al 2 O 3 ) based polymer electrolytes which were fabricated by using solution casting technique. Complexation of the PEO and KClO 4 was confirmed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), IR and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). (PEO+ KClO 4 ) and (PEO+ KClO 4 +Nano filler Al 2 O 3 ) based polymer electrolyte carbon monoxide gas sensors were fabricated and studied their characteristics at different temperatures and also at different concentrations of carbon monoxide gas. Manuscript received November 8, 2013; revised January 18, 2014. T. Sreekanth is with JNTUH College of Engineering, Nachupally (Kondagattu), Karimnagar Dist., Andhra Pradesh, India (e-mail: srikanth2t@gmail.com).V. Madhusudhana Reddy is with Malla Reddy College of Engineering and Techonology, Dhullapally, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (e-mail: v.madhusudhanareddy@gmail.com).
II. EXPERIMENTALIon conducting polymer electrolyte films (thickness 100-150 µm) of PEO [Aldrich, molecular weight (4 × 10 5 )] complexed with KClO 4 salt have been prepared in the weight ratios (90:10), (80:20) and (70:30) by solution-casting technique using methanol and water as solvents. Nano alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) having particle size ~10nm, has been used as filler for these polymer electrolytes. The solutions were...