A PERFUME ODOR-SENSING SYSTEM USING AN ARRAY OF PIEZOELECTRIC CRYSTALSENSORS WITH PLASTICIZED PVC COATINGS

Using PVC polymer as membrane matrix and di-n-octylphenyl phosphate (D OPP) as plasticizer, a piezoelectric crystal sensor (PCS) array with 1 2 adsorptive materials selected from 68 compounds by cluster analysis has been constructed as a perfume odour-sensing system. The frequency shift data obtained from the sensor array responding to four commercia l perfume odours are first autoscaled and then treated by principal co mponent analysis. The experimental results show that the plasticized P VC membrane PCS array provides improved performance of pattern recogni tion compared with the single adsorptive coating PCS array. The freque ncy shift response characteristics of these sensors have been investig ated experimentally. The proposed sensor array has also been applied t o the classification of commercial spirituous liquor, wine and soft dr ink samples, as well as aliphatic alcohol homologues and isomers.