Chemically bonded thermal impulse sensors for use in extreme environments

Abstract

We have developed nano/microscale thermal impulse (TI) (i.e., temperature and duration) sensors for use in extreme environments such as explosions, furnaces, and combustion experiments. These sensors consist of chemically bonded precursor Eu:ZrO2 and precursor Dy:Y2O3, which are prepared via mixed coprecipitation. In this study, we demonstrate their functionality for subsecond pulsed laser heating (isothermal duration of ≈10ms) up to 1773 K, with evidence suggesting functionality to even higher temperatures. This large range is due to the formation of a new mixed-material phase (similar to yttria-stabilized zirconia) that results in spectral features that are not seen in the component materials on their own. To the best of our knowledge, this material has the largest functional temperature range of any ex situ TI sensor reported in the literature.