Solid State Electrochemical Phosphorus Sensor for Carbon-Saturated Iron Melts

Phosphorus in steel is typically recognized as a harmful element for high-quality steel, so monitoring phosphorus content is important for iron- and steel-making processes. The solid electrolyte 4CaO center dot P2O5 is incorporated into a phosphorus sensor with a Sn-P alloy reference electrode. The cell configuration is written as: Mo vertical bar[P](sn)vertical bar 4CaO center dot P2O5 vertical bar[P](Fe)vertical bar Mo cermet. The sensor is tested on standard on C/Fe solutions at 1633 K. Even with fluctuating temperatures, the phosphorus probe shows consistent measured values and the developed calibration curves calculate the wt% of phosphorus based on measured voltage difference in the sensor with good stability and rugged construction.