METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SENSING ELEMENT OF SOLID- ELECTROLYTE OXYGEN CONCENTRATION TRANSDUCER Russian patent published in 2001 - IPC

FIELD: applied electrochemistry, metallurgy, power engineering, motor-car manufacture, and other industries. SUBSTANCE: method for manufacturing sensing element of solid-electrolyte transducer designed to measure oxygen content in liquid and gaseous media involves following procedures. Solid-electrolyte plug is made from powder such as stabilized zirconium oxide in the form of truncated cone . Insulating plug is made of magnesium powder of specific surface area 0.8-1.0 sq.m/g mixed up with alumomagnesium spinel powder of specific surface area 15-30 sq.m/g, their proportion being as follows: MgO, 36-43%; and MgAl₂O₄, 57-64%. Maximum 1.0 mass percent of anhydrous auxiliary binder is introduced in this mixture, the latter is agitated for at least 2 h, then granulated until particles of 2.6-2.8 g/cu. cm in density and 0.8-1 mm in diameter are obtained whereupon insulating tube is molded from granulated powder obtained; tube has conical inner surface that follows shape of solid- electrolyte plug; after that tube is dried out, and auxiliary binder is removed by baking in open air. This done, solid-electrolyte plug is inserted in insulating tube until their surfaces come in loose contact, assembly is heated in open air at a rate of 150 C/h to 1500 C, exposed to this temperature for 5 h, and cooled down while reducing temperature at same rate. Proposed method provides for dispensing with mechanical treatment of blanks, reducing manufacturing time, and minimizing baking temperature. EFFECT: improved quality of sensing element, facilitated manufacture, reduced power requirement. 4 cl, 1 dwg