PID Sensor

Through cooperation with the British experts, Shanghai Intersense has developed the high-performance photoionization PID sensor which has the world leading level and independent intellectual property rights. This sensor is a kind of highly-sensitive, wide-range, broad-spectrum sensor which can detect thousands of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and a part of inorganic vapours in different application areas, and can also provide a detection range of up to 10,000ppm and a minimum detection limit of 1ppb, featuring extremely fast response speed and extremely high resolution. This sensor can be used for a variety of hand-held portable, field fixed instruments, and can also be applied to various types of analytical instruments.

The PID sensor is a photoionization sensor which is composed of the vacuum ultraviolet lamp, low-noise detection circuit and ionization chamber. The so-called ionization is to force the gas to be measured to “be split" by applying an energy which is higher than or equal to the gas to be measured, so as to excite out the electrons contained in the gas to be measured; each "split” part carries the corresponding charge. In the PID, the source used to excite the ionization of the gas to be measured is the ultraviolet lamp in the ionization chamber. Therefore, before operation of the PID, it is required to know the energy required for the ionization of the gas to be measured and the energy which can be output by the PID energy source itself. The energy required for the ionization of the VOC gas is called the ionization potential (called “IP” for short) and is measured in the unit of electron volts (eV). In the PID, the ultraviolet lamp is used as the energy output source, and its output energy is also expressed in eV. Therefore, when the output energy of the ultraviolet lamp is higher than or equal to the IP value of the gas to be measured, the gas to be measured can be ionized by this ultraviolet lamp for further detection; otherwise the gas cannot be ionized. Basic components in the air include N2, O2, CO2, H2O, etc., and their IP values are all greater than the output energy of the ultraviolet lamp; as a result, when the PID is used for detection of VOC leakage in the air, it can ensure that the basic components in the air will not be ionized.

For all inquiries, please fill in the form below(* are required) to send us a brief message, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.