Resumen de TCDuino: Development of an Inexpensive Microcontroller-Based Thermal Conductivity Detector for Quantification of Gas Mixtures
Bradley A. Owen, Nicholas C. Starvaggi, Taylor I. Mensah, Isaac N. Mills
Thermal conductivity is generally the tool of choice for quantification of fixed gases, particularly lighter-than-air gases. Unfortunately, gas chromatography-thermal conductivity detectors (GC-TCDs) are difficult to introduce in first- and second-year chemistry courses where the cost and number of instruments, as well as the space required, is impractical. In this article, the authors describe the development of a small, inexpensive microcontroller-based TCD for undergraduate teaching and research laboratory experiments which utilizes a matched pellistor pair to quantify hydrogen. The total cost of materials is under $200, including the microcontroller, electronics, TCD pellistor pair, and the mechanical parts which serve as the housing and analysis chamber.
