A triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration and its preparation method

Abstract

This invention discloses a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration and its fabrication method. The sensor consists of an acrylic support frame, a negative electrode friction material, and a double electrode layer. The negative electrode friction material serves as the sensing interface. Sugar juice contacts the negative electrode material via titration. The amount of charge transferred during the contact and separation process can be measured by the double electrodes on both sides. The sugar juice concentration is sensed by detecting the potential difference between the two electrodes. The sensor can also control the amount of charge transferred during the sugar juice contact process by setting different tilt angles, thereby controlling the output magnitude of the sensing signal. This triboelectric sensor enables online real-time detection of sugar juice concentration. It has a simple structure, is easy to fabricate, allows for flexible selection of the detection range, and is repeatable and convenient to use, showing broad application prospects in sugar juice concentration monitoring.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to the field of triboelectric nanogenerator technology, specifically to a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration and its preparation method. [Background Technology]

[0002] Sugar juice concentration detection is a crucial step in the sugar production process, and online real-time monitoring of sugar juice concentration plays a vital role in improving production efficiency and product quality control. Currently, sugarcane sugar mills use intermittent manual sampling for sugar juice concentration detection, resulting in a certain lag in the analysis results. Under the current technological framework, traditional sensors struggle to accurately detect diverse and complex sugar juice solutions. Furthermore, in various application scenarios, the installation and use of sensors present significant challenges in terms of flexibility and power supply requirements, limiting the rapid development and application of sensors in sugar manufacturing enterprises.

[0003] In recent years, triboelectric nanogenerators have made significant progress in the application of sensing. Current research includes, for example, Chinese patent application 201310046138.0, which discloses a molecular sensor based on a triboelectric nanogenerator. This sensor comprises a triboelectric nanogenerator module, an energy storage and supply module, a water quality monitoring module, a signal processing and transmission module, and a remote terminal. It realizes the sensing of microorganisms, molecules, or ions adsorbed on a surface by converting mechanical energy generated by applied external force into electrical energy. This sensor expands the application of triboelectric nanogenerators in molecular-level property sensing and provides innovative ideas for the development of triboelectric sensors. Another example is Chinese patent application 202210236637.5, which discloses a wood-based triboelectric nanogenerator for food quality monitoring. This wood-based triboelectric nanogenerator can achieve integrated, self-powered food quality monitoring. It utilizes the ammonia gas released during food spoilage to affect the triboelectric properties of the triboelectric positive material, thereby affecting the output performance of the triboelectric nanogenerator, ultimately achieving the purpose of food quality monitoring. Furthermore, it features a simple structure, high sensitivity, and low cost, showing broad application prospects in food quality monitoring.

[0004] The aforementioned existing research demonstrates that triboelectric nanogenerators possess the sensing function to detect differences in contact electrification between different substances, and exhibit advantages such as high sensitivity, high linearity, and rapid response. However, there are currently no reported results regarding the detection of sugar juice concentration, making the development of triboelectric sensors for sugar juice concentration detection still highly urgent. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] To address the lag in sugar juice concentration detection at sugarcane factories, this invention provides a triboelectric sensor for sugar juice concentration detection and its fabrication method. Using a negative electrode triboelectric material as the sensing interface and combining it with triboelectric nanogenerator technology, an effective and rapid real-time online sensor for sugar juice concentration is constructed, enabling real-time online detection of sugar juice concentration.

[0006] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0007] A method for preparing a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration includes the following steps:

[0008] 1) Acrylic sheets are cut into rectangular substrates, connectors, and rectangular base plates of custom sizes using laser cutting.

[0009] 2) Assemble and solidify the rectangular substrate, connecting devices and rectangular base plate from step 1) at an inclined angle to obtain the support frame of the sensor;

[0010] 3) Apply a layer of negative electrode friction material as a friction layer to the upper surface of the rectangular substrate supporting the skeleton in step 2);

[0011] 4) Install two electrodes of the same size at a certain interval, and attach them to the top and bottom of the friction layer surface in step 3);

[0012] 5) Connect the top electrode and bottom electrode from step 4) with conductive wires to obtain a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration.

[0013] In this invention:

[0014] The laser cutting described in step 1) has a power of 300W; the dimensions of the custom-sized rectangular substrate, connector, and rectangular base plate are 6cm×3cm, 4cm×3cm×2cm, and 4cm×3cm, respectively.

[0015] The tilt angle mentioned in step 2) includes, but is not limited to, one of 35°, 45°, and 55°; the curing is carried out by ultraviolet curing, with an ultraviolet wavelength of 365nm and an ultraviolet irradiation time of 10s.

[0016] The negative electrode friction material mentioned in step 3) is selected from one of polytetrafluoroethylene, Teflon, polydimethylsiloxane, and polyimide, and the thickness of the negative electrode material is 0.1mm-0.6mm;

[0017] The same size mentioned in step 4) is 1cm × 3cm; the electrode is selected from one of conductive adhesive, copper, silver, gold, platinum, aluminum, and nickel, or an alloy material containing one or more of copper, silver, gold, platinum, aluminum, and nickel; the certain spacing includes, but is not limited to, one of 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, 30mm, and 35mm.

[0018] The conductive wire mentioned in step 5) is selected from one of copper wire, aluminum wire, silver wire, and carbon fiber wire.

[0019] This invention also relates to a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar syrup concentration, obtained using the aforementioned method for preparing a triboelectric sensor for sugar syrup concentration detection. The triboelectric sensor for sugar syrup concentration detection, after sensing tests, exhibits an open-circuit voltage of 1.45-4.54V, a short-circuit current of 31.4-107.90nA, a transferred charge of 0.48-1.65nC, and a sensing sensitivity of 0.174°Bx for sugar syrup concentrations. -1 The linearity of the triboelectric sensor used for sugar juice concentration detection is 0.973, and the sensing response time is 51ms.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0021] 1. The triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration described in this invention works on the coupling effect of contact friction electrification and electrostatic induction. The triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration uses a negative electrode triboelectric material detection port and can complete real-time online detection through a simple titration method. It has the advantages of simple working principle, self-powered and no need for external power supply, which can save energy and is a green and sustainable online sugar juice concentration sensor.

[0022] 2. The triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration described in this invention exhibits a sensitivity of 0.174°Bx for sugar juices of different concentrations. -1 It boasts high sensing sensitivity, a sensing linearity of up to 0.973, and a sensing response time of 51ms, offering advantages such as high sensitivity, good accuracy, and fast response time.

[0023] 3. The triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration described in this invention has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture, and can ensure flexible selection of the detection range and repeated and convenient use of the device, thus having broad application prospects in sugar juice concentration monitoring. [Attached Image Description]

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration obtained from an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the fabrication process of a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration, as described in this invention.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a data graph of the open-circuit voltage of a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration at different tilt angles, obtained from an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a short-circuit current data diagram of a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration under different copper electrode spacings obtained from an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a sensing sensitivity data graph of a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration obtained in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a sensing response time data graph of a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration obtained in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 This is a sensing stability data graph of a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration obtained in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0031] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to examples.

[0032] Example 1:

[0033] A method for preparing a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration includes the following steps:

[0034] Step 1): Use a laser cutter at 300W power to cut the acrylic sheet into a rectangular substrate with a size of 6cm×3cm, a right-angled trapezoidal connector with a size of 4cm×3cm×2cm, and a rectangular base plate with a size of 4cm×3cm.

[0035] Step 2) Connect the rectangular substrate, rectangular base plate and right-angled trapezoidal connector using UV curing. The UV wavelength is 365nm and the irradiation time is 10s. After assembly, the tilt angle of the rectangular substrate is 35°.

[0036] Step 3) Apply a 0.1 mm thick polytetrafluoroethylene film as a friction layer to the surface of the rectangular substrate.

[0037] Step 4) Install two copper electrodes, each measuring 1cm × 3cm, at a distance of 35mm, and attach them to the top and bottom of the substrate surface, respectively.

[0038] Step 5) Connect the two copper wires to the top and bottom electrodes respectively to obtain a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration.

[0039] The triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration obtained in Example 1 was tested under the following detection conditions;

[0040] First, the droplet height was controlled to 11 cm using an iron stand. A peristaltic pump was used to control the droplet rate at 100 mL / min. Finally, titration was performed using a 4 mm inner diameter tubing. The triboelectric sensor used for sugar juice concentration detection had an open-circuit voltage of 4.48 V, a short-circuit current of 107.90 nA, and a transferred charge of 1.4 nC. The triboelectric sensor's sensitivity to different sugar juice concentrations was 0.174°Bx. -1 The linearity of the triboelectric sensor used for sugar juice concentration detection is 0.973 (e.g., ...). Figure 5 (As shown).

[0041] Figure 5 This is a sensitivity data graph of a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration obtained in Example 1.

[0042] Example 2:

[0043] A method for preparing a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration includes the following steps:

[0044] The tilt angle in step 2) is selected from 45°; the negative electrode friction material in step 3) is selected from Teflon with a thickness of 0.6 mm; the electrode in step 4) is selected from silver electrode; the electrode installation distance in step 4) is selected from 25 mm; the rest is the same as in Example 1.

[0045] The triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration obtained in Example 2 was tested under the following detection conditions:

[0046] First, the droplet height was controlled to 11 cm using an iron stand. A peristaltic pump was used to control the droplet rate at 100 mL / min. Finally, titration was performed using a 4 mm inner diameter tubing. The open-circuit voltage of the triboelectric sensor used for sugar juice concentration detection was 4.54 V, the short-circuit current was 73.31 nA, the transferred charge was 1.65 nC, and the sensing response time was 51 ms. Figure 6 (As shown).

[0047] Figure 6 This is a sensing response time data graph of a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration obtained in Example 2.

[0048] Example 3:

[0049] A method for preparing a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration includes the following steps:

[0050] The connection angle in step 2) is selected from 35°; the electrode in step 4) is selected from platinum electrodes; the electrode installation distance in step 4) is selected from 15mm; other parameters are the same as in Example 1.

[0051] The triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration obtained in Example 3 was tested under the following detection conditions;

[0052] First, the droplet height was controlled to 11 cm using an iron stand. A peristaltic pump was used to control the droplet rate at 100 mL / min. Finally, a 4 mm inner diameter tubing was used for titration. The triboelectric sensor used for sugar juice concentration detection had an open-circuit voltage of 2.0 V, a short-circuit current of 31.4 nA, and a transferred charge of 0.48 nC. Stability testing was also conducted on the triboelectric sensor used for sugar juice concentration detection, and it was found that the sensor remained stable even after a 1000-droplet cycle test (e.g., ...). Figure 7 (As shown).

[0053] Figure 7 This is a sensing stability data graph of a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration obtained in Example 3.

[0054] Example 4:

[0055] A method for preparing a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration includes the following steps:

[0056] The negative electrode friction material in step 3) is selected from polydimethylsiloxane and has a thickness of 0.5 mm; the electrode installation distance in step 4) is selected from 20 mm; the conductive wire in step 5) is selected from carbon fiber filament; the rest is the same as in Example 1.

[0057] The triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration obtained in Example 1 was tested under the following detection conditions:

[0058] First, the height of the droplet was controlled to 11cm using an iron stand. A peristaltic pump was used to control the droplet rate to 100mL / min. Finally, a flexible tube with an inner diameter of 4mm was used for titration. The open-circuit voltage of the triboelectric sensor used for sugar juice concentration detection was 1.45V, the short-circuit current was 40.64nA, and the amount of charge transferred was 0.72nC.

[0059] Comparative Example 1:

[0060] Chinese patent application 201410194891.9 discloses an online detection device for initial juice hammer pressure of a press. The device includes a sampler installed at the lower end of the press, a buffer connected to the sampler via a first pipeline, and a digital saccharimeter. The sensor head of the digital saccharimeter is located inside the buffer. A manual ball valve is installed on the first pipeline. The buffer also includes a rotary cleaning mechanism and a high-pressure cleaning mechanism for cleaning the sensor head of the digital saccharimeter.

[0061] This device differs from the present invention in the following ways:

[0062] 1. The initial pressure juice (sugar juice) hammer (concentration) detection of the device relies on a digital saccharimeter, which is based on the traditional optical refraction method. This is significantly different from the novel sugar juice concentration sensor developed by the present invention based on triboelectric nanogenerator technology, and there are differences in technical principles.

[0063] 2. The device consists of a sampler, pipeline, buffer and digital saccharimeter. The triboelectric sensor described in this invention mainly consists of an acrylic sheet, negative electrode friction material and electrode. The composition and structure of the sensor are different.

[0064] 3. The application scope of this device is mainly for the initial pressing juice, while the triboelectric sensor for detecting the sugar juice concentration described in this invention is applicable to all stages of sugar production enterprises, and there is a difference in the application scope.

[0065] Comparative Example 2:

[0066] Chinese patent application 201811308873.3 discloses a liquid leak detection sensor and its application based on a single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator. The liquid leak detection sensor includes: a sensitive element for sensing the leaking liquid, wherein the liquid rubs against the surface of the sensitive element to generate an electric charge; and a conductive electrode disposed on the sensitive element and grounded for conducting the electric charge and generating an electrical signal. This application is based on the principle of a single-electrode triboelectric nanogenerator and determines whether a liquid leak has occurred by detecting whether an electrical signal (current, voltage) is detected by a detector. The electrical signal characteristics of different liquids can be used to identify the type of liquid.

[0067] This device differs from the present invention in the following ways:

[0068] 1. This sensor is mainly used for detecting liquid leaks and identifying the type of liquid, and does not involve the detection of sugar juice concentration, which is different from the application of this invention.

[0069] 2. The sensor detects one of the following: tap water, sodium chloride solution, anhydrous ethanol, and acetone. This is significantly different from the sugar juice, the main product of the sugar industry, which is the subject of this invention. Therefore, the application objects are different.

[0070] 3. This sensor uses a single-electrode mode, which differs from the dual-electrode mode used in this invention, resulting in a difference in the sensor's working principle.

[0071] Comparative Example 3:

[0072] Chinese patent application 202110180482.3 discloses a humidity monitoring and analysis system driven by a dual-generator triboelectric nanogenerator, its preparation method, and its application. The system includes a dual-generator triboelectric nanogenerator, a miniature humidity sensor, a data analysis APP, and a WIFI data transmission module. The humidity sensor includes a substrate, a humidity-sensitive material disposed on the upper surface of the substrate, and two sensor metal electrodes disposed at both ends of the humidity-sensitive material. The dual-generator triboelectric nanogenerator consists of a support plate, a foam double-sided adhesive filling layer, generator metal electrodes, and a fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer thin film power generation layer. The miniature humidity sensor proposed in this invention converts mechanical energy in the environment into electrical energy through a FEP-Cu dual-generator triboelectric nanogenerator, eliminating the need for battery power and avoiding the sensor's dependence on battery power.

[0073] This device differs from the present invention in the following ways:

[0074] 1. This sensor is mainly used for detecting air humidity and does not involve the detection of sugar juice concentration, which is different from the application of this invention.

[0075] 2. This sensor uses a multi-layer solid-solid contact separation mode, which differs from the single-layer dual-electrode solid-liquid single-electrode mode used in this invention. The composition and working principle of the sensor are different.

[0076] Summarize:

[0077] The triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar syrup concentration obtained in Example 4 of this invention, after sensing tests, showed an open-circuit voltage of 1.45-4.54V, a short-circuit current of 31.4-107.90nA, and a transferred charge of 0.48-1.65nC. The triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar syrup concentration exhibited a sensitivity of 0.174°Bx for different sugar syrup concentrations. -1 The linearity of the triboelectric sensor used for sugar juice concentration detection is 0.973, and the sensing response time is 51ms.

[0078] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical concept and features of the present invention, and are intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly. They should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made based on the essence of the content of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: 1) The acrylic sheet is cut into rectangular substrates, connectors, and rectangular base plates of custom sizes using laser cutting. 2) Assemble and solidify the rectangular substrate, connecting device and rectangular base plate from step 1) at an inclined angle to obtain the support frame of the sensor; the inclined angle is one of 35°, 45° and 55°; the solidification is carried out by ultraviolet curing, the ultraviolet wavelength is 365nm and the ultraviolet irradiation time is 10s. 3) A layer of negative electrode friction material is attached to the upper surface of the rectangular substrate supporting the skeleton in step 2) as a friction layer; the negative electrode friction material is selected from one of polytetrafluoroethylene, Teflon, polydimethylsiloxane, and polyimide, and the thickness of the negative electrode material is 0.1mm-0.6mm. 4) Install two electrodes of the same size at a certain interval, and attach them to the top and bottom of the friction layer surface in step 3); the same size is 1cm × 3cm; the electrodes are selected from conductive adhesive, copper, silver, gold, platinum, aluminum, nickel, or an alloy material containing one or more of copper, silver, gold, platinum, aluminum, and nickel; the certain interval is one of 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, 30mm, or 35mm; 5) Connect the top electrode and bottom electrode from step 4) with conductive wires to obtain a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration.

2. The method for preparing a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration according to claim 1, characterized in that: The laser cutting described in step 1) has a power of 300W; the dimensions of the custom-sized rectangular substrate, connector, and rectangular base plate are 6cm×3cm, 4cm×3cm×2cm, and 4cm×3cm, respectively.

3. The method for preparing a triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive wire mentioned in step 5) is selected from one of copper wire, aluminum wire, silver wire, and carbon fiber wire.

4. A triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar juice concentration, characterized in that: The triboelectric sensor for detecting sugar syrup concentration, as described in any one of claims 1-3, was obtained. After sensing tests, the sensor exhibited an open-circuit voltage of 1.45-4.54V, a short-circuit current of 31.4-107.90nA, a transferred charge of 0.48-1.65nC, and a sensing sensitivity of 0.174°Bx for different sugar syrup concentrations. -1 The linearity of the triboelectric sensor used for sugar juice concentration detection is 0.973, and the sensing response time is 51ms.

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