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Virginia Tech

Birefringent single-arm fiber optic enthalpimeter for catalytic reaction monitoring

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Changes in heat content are almost universally associated with chemical reactions. Thermometry as an analytical tool has been extensively researched and developed. Finding solutions to problems involving thermal isolation, specificity, sensitivity, and cross-sensitivity remain as active areas of interest. Fiberoptic interferometers, which use phase phenomena associated with propagating light, are extremely sensitive to heat. This research has focused on a special "birefringent" optical fiber. Two channels of information are generated in this single-fiber interferometer which correspond to the heat evolved from a catalytic reaction isolated on the fiber surface. Because of the unique transduction mechanism associated with the "birefringent" optical fiber, this device is sensitive to heat and remarkably insensitive to pressure. Details of the characterization and development of the birefringent optical fiber into a useful analytical probe are presented.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph. D.
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Analytical Chemistry
Department dc:contributor.department
Analytical Chemistry
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
1990

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Richmond, Eric William
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Dessy, Raymond E.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Long, Gary L.
  • Mason, John G.
  • McNair, Harold M.
  • Wightman, James P.

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-07282008-135248
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/38948

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
related terms
citation

Richmond, Eric William. Birefringent single-arm fiber optic enthalpimeter for catalytic reaction monitoring. doctoral thesis, Virginia Tech, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/38948