Catalytic Combustion Sensors (Pellistor) for permeability measurement

About Versaperm

Versaperm manufactures gas permeability testing equipment, offers a comprehensive permeability testing service and a materials consultancy. These are used to measure gas permeability and leakage, important in medical and pharmaceutical packaging, foils and films, coatings, food and confectionery packaging and contents, and many other applications.

Instruments

Versaperm designs and manufactures instruments to meet each customer’s needs. Instruments are typically be based on a modular MkVI design.

Testing Service

Our laboratory testing service has over 30 years experience to enable us to choose the best technique to measure your sample's permeability both quickly and accurately.

Applications

Permeability is often the most critial factor in a material or component's performance. It determines how drugs to loose potency, food goes off, how paper both prints and jams in equipment, how seals work and it can even cause electronics to fail.

Consultancy

Our Consultancy division combines our theoretical and practical Permeability skills in instrument design and manufacture. Permeability Consultancy

Catalytic Combustion Sensors (Pellistor)

The catalytic combustion technique is a widely used method for detecting and qualitatively measuring flammable gases.

A catalytic palletised resistor or pellistor, is based on a fine coil of platinum wire, embedded within a ceramic pellet coated with a catalysts. When the surface is heated it allows oxidation to occur in a chemical reaction similar to combustion. This reaction releases heat, and the temperature of the catalyst together, pellet and coil to rise.

Catalytic Combustion Sensor - Pellistor

This change in temperature alters the electrical resistance of the coil in a way linearly dependent on the temperature. The resistance is directly related to the actual number of molecules of the gas being measured.

Pellistors are manufactured in pairs, one with an electrically matched element but no no catalyst, this acts as a reference and eliminates stray environmental factors other than the presence of the flammable gas.

At Versaperm we are not tied to any specific sensor types or manufacturer and so we can always select exactly the right sensor for an application. Versaperm is a world technology leader in the measurement of gas permeability. We offer not only instruments but also comprehensive testing and consultancy services.

Versaperm Limited
10 Rawcliffe House, Howarth Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 1AP, UK, Tel: +44 1628 777668
e.mail: webcontact@versaperm.com
© Versaperm Limited 2010