Patent · US Expired

Method and device of detecting a deterioration

US5698988A · kind A · utility

1Cited by
5References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 8, 1996
Grant dateDec 16, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 8, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N17/00
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and device of readily detecting deterioration of a sample at low cost, which do not require any maintenance and monitoring of the sensor properties, and accordingly can decrease a load assigned to a system side. A conductive sensor having a pair of electrodes and a conductive film which is disposed between the pair of electrodes and is composed of a conductive material formed in a continuous region so as to connect the pair of electrodes at least electrically in its initial state is placed in an atmosphere where the sample is placed. The percolation transition of the conductive material of the conductive film occurs due to the grain growth thereof, accompanied by the deterioration of the inorganic material composing the sample due to the grain growth thereof. By monitoring the variation in electric resistance of the conductive sensor due to the percolation transition of the conductive material, the deterioration of the sample can be detected.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.