Project Director

Park, Han J.

Department Examiner

Santiago, Manuel F., Albu, Titus V.

Department

Dept. of Chemistry

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

Ethylene, C2H4, is a plant hormone produced and released naturally by plants and soil microorganisms. This colorless, flammable gas has a slightly sweet odor usually only recognized by those who have handled ethylene before. In situ analyses of this gas and many other potentially harmful gases outside of the laboratory are often difficult to perform due to the lack of a portable yet reliable unit capable of precisely and accurately detecting and measuring the concentrations of these gases at trace gas concentrations of a few parts per billion. In this research project, photoacoustic spectroscopy was used to detect and measure the concentration of ethylene. Multiple aspects of the experimental setup were independently manipulated to determine each of their effects on the photoacoustic behavior exhibited. The data obtained in this research project was used to help formulate a discussion about what experimental conditions were most ideal for detection and measurement of ethylene using photoacoustic spectroscopy. It was determined that this technique was most reliable when the internal radius of the cavity resonator was small, the power of the light source was high, the concentration of ethylene gas was high, and the rotational frequency of the mechanical chopper was low. These experimental conditions should be considered by manufacturers when devising highly-sensitive, low-cost portable systems for the detection and measurement of ethylene gas both inside and outside the laboratory.

Acknowledgments

Dr. Han J. Park, Ph.D., Thesis Director Dr. Manuel F. Santiago, Ph.D., Department Examiner Dr. Titus V. Albu, Ph.D., Department Examiner Grote Fund, Department of Chemistry and Physics, UTC Innovations in Honors Program, Honors College, UTC Chapel Cowden, Health and Science Instruction Librarian, Library, UTC

Degree

B. S.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Science.

Date

5-2017

Subject

Ethylene -- Measurement

Keyword

Photoacoustic effect; Photoacoustic spectroscopy; Ethylene; Trace gas detection; Physical chemistry

Discipline

Chemistry

Document Type

Theses

Extent

97 leaves

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

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Chemistry Commons

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