High sensitive piezoelectric quartz crystal liquid density sensor

We report for the first time a cleavage phenomenon in the resonant peak of a piezoelectric quartz crystal (PQC) in liquid phase. In the presence of a strong longitudinal wave effect, an additional resonant peak appears in the conductance–frequency curve. With gradually increasing liquid density, the additional peak moves from low to high frequency region then disappears. The frequency of the additional resonant peak is sensitive to the change in liquid density. The frequency shift of the additional peak is linear with the liquid density in a given range. For a 5 MHz PQC with a reflection distance of 16 mm for longitudinal wave, the sensitivity to liquid density is 2.61 × 106 Hz g−1 cm3. The overlap between the primary resonant peak and the additional resonant peak causes a decrease in the intensity of the former and an increase in the intensity of the latter. In a combined impedance analysis method, the changes in surface mass loading, density and viscosity of the liquid were monitored simultaneously by a PQC sensor.