Synthesis, characterization and humidity sensing properties of Cu–Sr–Al mixed metal oxide composites

Copper–strontium–aluminum mixed metal oxide composites prepared by sol–gel technique was investigated for humidity sensing properties. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FT-IR spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm at 77 K was employed, respectively, to identify the structural phases, surface morphology, vibrational stretching frequencies and BET surface area of the composites. The composites were prepared with the mole ratios of Cu:Sr as (0.0:1.0, 0.2:0.8, 0.4:06, 0.6:0.4, 0.8:0.2 and 1.0:0.0) keeping the aluminium mole ratio as constant and were labeled as CuSA1, CuSA2, CuSA3, CuSA4, CuSA5 and CuSA6, respectively. The samples sintered at 900 °C for 5 h, were subjected to dc resistance measurements as a function of relative humidity (RH) in the range 5–98% and the results revealed that the sensitivity factor of CuSA5 possessed the highest humidity sensitivity of 42,000 while the pure composite copper aluminate (CuSA1) and strontium aluminate (CuSA6) possessed comparatively low sensitivities 10,000 and 20,000, respectively. The response and recovery characteristics of the composites CuSA1, CuSA5 and CuSA6 were studied.