Use of quartz crystal microbalance sensors for monitoring fouling and viscoelastic phenomena in industrial process applications

The quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) provides an extremely sensitive technique for measuring small changes in interfacial phenomena on the sensor's surface. QCMs are being used with increasing frequency for the measurement of interfacial phenomena in laboratory applications. The use of the QCM in industrial applications is complicated by the delicate nature of the QCM crystal and the elevated temperatures and pressures encountered in industrial processes. In this paper we discuss the development and applications of a QCM in industrial processes.