AN AUTOMATED VAPOR-GENERATION AND DATA-COLLECTION INSTRUMENT FOR THE EVALUATION OF CHEMICAL MICROSENSORS

An instrument has been built which can generate up to twelve different vapors from bubbler or permeation tube sources. These vapors can be individually selected, diluted to concentrations typically in the range of 1 to 10,000 mg/m**3 volume and delivered at a programmable flow rate to the system output. Mixtures of two vapors can also be easily generated. The system is fully automated using a small personal computer and permits completely unattended operation during elaborate vapor-exposure sequences. Parameters describing the vapor test conditions are automatically stored in the computer disk memory, along with the sensor responses to the test.