Study on dual channel lateral field excitation quartz crystal microbalance for measuring liquid electrical properties

Abstract

Lateral field excitation quartz crystal microbalance (LFE-QCM) can detect both the electrical properties (conductivity and permittivity) and mechanical properties (viscosity and density) of the liquid. In practical applications for detecting electrical properties, the viscosity and density of the liquid will also change. This research proposed a dual-channel LFE-QCM for reducing the influence of density and viscosity. The sensing layer of one resonant element is almost bare, and the other is covered by a metal film as a reference. Different organic solutions and NaCl solution were used to study the influence of mechanical properties and the temperature on electrical properties. The experimental results demonstrate that the dual-channel LFE-QCM is necessary for properly detecting electrical properties of the liquid.