PARFUM: Process control and air cleaner applications with recognition of gases and flavours using a smart microsystem

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 95.0036-3

Key words (English)

SENSORS; ELECTRONIC NOSES;

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: EP 20.848

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 1.3 Telematic systems

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Microsens, Neuchâtel (CH), CSEM SA, Neuchâtel (CH)
Coordinator: Philips (F)

Abstract (English)

The original objectives of the project are to demonstrate and implement smart microsystems for gas and odour recognition based on state-of-the-art sensor technologies, data processing and analysis tecniques. PARFUM is strongly application driven into two areas:
1. Domestic appliances (air cleaner) with detection of gases such as CO2, NO2, SO2, O3, HCOH, CH4; C2H5OH:
2 Quality control in food industry (detection of off-flavours for food packaging materials)

The goal of the European project PARFUM (odour recognition part) was to develop a single rapid instrumental method to detect off-flavours in packaging materials.
In co-operation with all the partners of the Consortium, the quality of different kinds of wrapping foils for chocolate bars was investigated by using the hybrid Modular Sensor System (MOSES II). To check the reproducibility and to deduce quantitative predictions a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC/MS)-unit connected to a headspace-sampler (HSS) was used as a well-established analytical reference instrumentation. A human sensory panel according to the sniff-test also qualified all analysed samples. The different packaging material species could be distinguished in a principal component analysis (PCA). With the aid of a principal component regression (PCR) a correlation between human and technical odour perception was carried out. The odour prediction of MOSES II was very satisfying when compared to the human sensory assessments. Additionally, in order to follow the sensor fluctuations the sensor responses upon exposure to a standard sample have been monitored as a function of time. The results of these measurements and the investigations of four different MOSES II units demonstrated the long-term stability of the individual sensors and the high reproducibility from system to system.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 95.0036-3