(343h) Detection of Methane Gas Using Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors Coated with a Composite Zeolite Layer

Natural gas is widely utilized as a source to generate energy and as a feedstock to manufacture chemicals and materials. The U.S. natural gas pipeline network consists of approximately 305,000 miles of interstate and intrastate transmission pipelines, which is about 12 times the Earth’s circumference. The estimated methane emissions from the U.S. natural gas pipelines are 0.69 Tg/year, equivalent to 2.3% of gross U.S. gas production and a loss of ~$2 billion a year. As a powerful greenhouse gas, methane leaks present serious concerns to climate change while also increasing global levels of surface ozone pollution. Thus, it is imperative to first detect leaks from natural gas infrastructure using sensitive and reliable methane sensors, and afterwards to repair leaks and upgrade aging pipelines that have become prone to leaks. In this presentation, surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors coated with a composite zeolite layer were developed to detect methane gas at various concentrations. The effect of optimizing variables such as particle size, zeolite percentage, binder contents, etc. on the methane sensing response will be discussed, and any cross talk with humidity and other gases will also be presented. The SAW sensors developed here enable the detection of methane leaks along natural gas pipelines in a sensitive and selective manner, ultimately resulting in improvements in natural gas utilization and the reduction of negative environmental impacts.