A heat tone sensor includes a housing with a gas inlet and with a gas outlet as well as a device for generating a gas stream of a gas to be tested between the gas inlet and the gas outlet. A measuring element, around and/or through which the gas stream flows, is configured to catalytically burn at least a portion of the gas stream and to send a measurement signal. The measurement signal indicates a quantity of heat released in the process.

The invention relates to gas analysis and to combustible gas and vapour analyzers based on a thermocatalytic operating principle. The subject of the invention is a sensor the sensitive elements of which are manufactured by planar techniques that can be easily automated. The main distinguishing feature is that a working sensitive element and a reference sensitive element are colocated in a single micron-sized structural component (a microchip) on a common substrate made of porous anodic aluminium oxide. The design of the sensitive elements provides for film-wise heat transfer from heated parts of the working and reference sensitive elements. Measuring microheaters which heat the working and reference sensitive elements up to working temperatures and provide for differentially measuring an output signal in a measuring bridge circuit are spaced apart at opposite sides of the anodic aluminium oxide substrate and are disposed on arms projecting beyond the common substrate configuration. The sensitive elements are disposed in a reaction chamber having restricted diffusion access via a calibrated orifice, and the diameter of regular pores in the microchip substrate is increased to sizes that provide for a predominantly molecular diffusion mode in the pores (100 nm or more).

In order to make it possible to remove dust produced in a heating furnace 10 more efficiently than ever before, the present invention is adapted to include: a dust discharge passage L that communicates with the inside of the heating furnace 10 and is for discharging dust produced by heating a sample X; a dust accommodating part 30 that accommodates the dust discharged from the dust discharge passage L; and a negative pressure generating mechanism 90 that is provided in the dust discharge passage L and generates negative pressure in the dust discharge passage, in which the negative pressure generated by the negative pressure generating mechanism 90 guides the dust from the heating furnace 10 to the dust discharge passage L.

The aim of the invention is to provide a commercially usable and inexpensive device and method with which a sorption enthalpy can be measured in a simple manner. This is achieved by a device for calorimetrically measuring sorption processes, comprising a sorption cell for receiving a sample, the sorption cell having a volume for filling with a sorption gas, and comprising a reference cell likewise for filing with the sorption gas. A measurement gas volume is arranged around the sorption cell for receiving a reference gas, and the reference cell is surrounded by a reference gas volume, which is likewise provided for receiving the reference gas. A gas connection is provided between the sorption cell and the reference cell in order to conduct sorption gas into the sorption cell and the reference cell such that a sorption reaction occurs with the sample in the sorption cell. Furthermore, a device is provided for measuring pressure differences between the measurement gas volume and the reference gas volume in order to carry out a calorimetric measurement of the sorption process on the sample in the sorption cell on the basis of a volume change of the reference gas in the measurement gas volume.

There is provided a wettability tester using a test material in a molten state, including: a chamber; a vacuum exhaust section exhausting the chamber; a gas supply section supplying a predetermined gas into the chamber; a sample stage disposed in the chamber; and an observation section observing morphological change associated with a temperature distribution in the test material tapped onto the sample stage, wherein the vacuum exhaust section and the gas supply section establish a vacuum atmosphere, an inert gas atmosphere, a reducing atmosphere or an air atmosphere in the chamber. It is preferable to include: a melting section disposed above the sample stage and transforming the test material into a molten state; and a tapping control section causing the test material transformed into a molten state by the melting section to be tapped.

There is provided a wettability tester using a test material in a molten state, including: a chamber; a vacuum exhaust section exhausting the chamber; a gas supply section supplying a predetermined gas into the chamber; a sample stage disposed in the chamber; and an observation section observing morphological change associated with a temperature distribution in the test material tapped onto the sample stage, wherein the vacuum exhaust section and the gas supply section establish a vacuum atmosphere, an inert gas atmosphere, a reducing atmosphere or an air atmosphere in the chamber. It is preferable to include: a melting section disposed above the sample stage and transforming the test material into a molten state; and a tapping control section causing the test material transformed into a molten state by the melting section to be tapped.

In order to make it possible to remove dust produced in a heating furnace 10 more efficiently than ever before, the present invention is adapted to include: a dust discharge passage L that communicates with the inside of the heating furnace 10 and is for discharging dust produced by heating a sample X; a dust accommodating part 30 that accommodates the dust discharged from the dust discharge passage L; and a negative pressure generating mechanism 90 that is provided in the dust discharge passage L and generates negative pressure in the dust discharge passage, in which the negative pressure generated by the negative pressure generating mechanism 90 guides the dust from the heating furnace 10 to the dust discharge passage L.

The invention relates to gas analysis and to combustible gas and vapour analyzers based on a thermocatalytic operating principle. The subject of the invention is a sensor the sensitive elements of which are manufactured by planar techniques that can be easily automated. The main distinguishing feature is that a working sensitive element and a reference sensitive element are colocated in a single micron-sized structural component (a microchip) on a common substrate made of porous anodic aluminium oxide. The design of the sensitive elements provides for film-wise heat transfer from heated parts of the working and reference sensitive elements. Measuring microheaters which heat the working and reference sensitive elements up to working temperatures and provide for differentially measuring an output signal in a measuring bridge circuit are spaced apart at opposite sides of the anodic aluminium oxide substrate and are disposed on arms projecting beyond the common substrate configuration. The sensitive elements are disposed in a reaction chamber having restricted diffusion access via a calibrated orifice, and the diameter of regular pores in the microchip substrate is increased to sizes that provide for a predominantly molecular diffusion mode in the pores (100 nm or more).

A system for determining the heat release rate of a sample material is provided that includes a computing device coupled to a heat release rate apparatus, the heat release rate apparatus includes an environmental chamber with heating elements that provide heat flux directed at the sample material, an upper pilot burner for burning off gasses and a lower pilot burner for igniting the sample material. The apparatus further includes a pyramidal section coupled to the environmental chamber and a plurality of temperature sensors located at the outlet opening of the pyramidal section for measuring outlet gas temperature and a temperature sensor for measuring inlet air temperature, where the computing device receives temperature readings from the plurality of sensors and determines the heat release rate (HRR) of the sample material based on absolute temperature differential of a combustion stream through the apparatus.

A system for determining the heat release rate of a sample material is provided that includes a computing device coupled to a heat release rate apparatus, the heat release rate apparatus includes an environmental chamber with heating elements that provide heat flux directed at the sample material, an upper pilot burner for burning off gasses and a lower pilot burner for igniting the sample material. The apparatus further includes a pyramidal section coupled to the environmental chamber and a plurality of temperature sensors located at the outlet opening of the pyramidal section for measuring outlet gas temperature and a temperature sensor for measuring inlet air temperature, where the computing device receives temperature readings from the plurality of sensors and determines the heat release rate (HRR) of the sample material based on absolute temperature differential of a combustion stream through the apparatus.