title: Monitoring of low levels of furfural in power transformer oil with a sensor system based on a POF-MIP platform.
abstract: In this work an innovative, miniaturized and low cost optical chemical sensor (POF-MIP platform), based on a molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) and surface plasmon resonance in a plastic optical fiber (POF), is presented and preliminarily tested for monitoring of furfural (furan-2-carbaldehyde) in transformer oil. To this end, the optical platform was coupled to an MIP layer, highly selective for furfural. The ability of the developed sensor to directly detect furfural in the insulating oil was investigated. The detection limit of the sensor has been found to be 9 ppb, with a linear response up to about 30 ppb. However there is a sensible response up to 0.15 ppm. Because of the small linearity range, the Hill equation is suggested for the quantification. The sensor has been effectively tested in real oil samples collected from aged electrical equipment removed from service. The assessed concentration of furfural is in good agreement with that evaluated by a high pressure liquid chromatography (HLPC) method, confirming the good selectivity of the proposed sensor.
authors: Department of Industrial and Information Engineering, Second University of Naples, Via Roma 29, Aversa 81031, Italy. nunzio.cennamo@unina2.it.
authors: Nunzio
authors: N
authors: Cennamo
authors: Department of Transmission and Distribution Technologies, RSE Research on Energetic System S.p.A, Via Rubattino 54, Milano 20134, Italy. letizia.demaria@rse-web.it.
authors: Letizia
authors: L
authors: De Maria
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli, Pavia 12-27100, Italy. girolamo.dagostino@unipv.it.
authors: Girolamo
authors: G
authors: D'Agostino
authors: Department of Industrial and Information Engineering, Second University of Naples, Via Roma 29, Aversa 81031, Italy. luigi.zeni@unina2.it.
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: Zeni
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli, Pavia 12-27100, Italy. maria.pesavento@unipv.it.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Pesavento