A new trace-moisture analyzer harnesses the power of MOFs
By Mary Page Bailey |
The presence of moisture — even in very small amounts — can be extremely detrimental the manufacture of many products, including semiconductors. Removal of moisture from a contaminated process is a labor-intensive process that requires large volumes of high-purity gases. Harnessing the optical characteristics of a metal-organic framework (MOF) material, Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corp. (TNSC; Tokyo; www.tn-sanso.co.jp) has developed a new trace moisture analyzer for nitrogen gas that is said to be more compact, sensitive, reliable and faster than current technologies for industrial-gas moisture analysis.
Through joint research with the Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology at Kumamoto University (FAST; www.fast.kumamoto-u.ac.jp), TNSC investigated the porous MOF material Cu-BTC, which consists of a divalent copper ion (Cu2+) and benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (BTC). The Cu-BTC MOF’s wavelength absorbance changes in conjunction with moisture absorption and desorption, and the analyzer detects this absorbance change and converts it into a moisture-concentration reading. According to TNSC, the new analyzer boasts a response speed of less than five minutes and a lower detection limit of 10 parts per billion by volume (ppbv). The strong…
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