Solid State Electrochemical Phosphorus Sensor for Carbon-Saturated Iron Melts

Abstract

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·P2O5 is incorporated into a phosphorus sensor with a Sn–P alloy reference electrode. The cell configuration is written as: Mo|[P]Sn|4CaO·P2O5|[P]Fe|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.