The physicochemical phenomena that explain the sensing mechanisms of gas sensors have been extensively investigated. Nevertheless, it is arduous to interpret the sensor signals in a practical approach when they response to complex mixtures of compounds responsible for food aroma. Thus, the concomitant interactions between the volatiles and the sensor give up a single response affected by synergic and masking effects between compounds. An experimental procedure is proposed to determine the individual contribution of volatile compounds in the sensor response, illustrated with the examples of aroma of dry-cured hams and metal oxide sensors. The results from mathematical correlations and the analyses of pure standards are previously analyzed to describe the behavior of sensors when interacting with individual compounds. A sensor based olfactory detector (SBOD) entailing the use of a capillary column connected to a sensor array as non-destructive detector in parallel with the flame detector served to provide definitive information about the individual contribution of volatile compounds to sensor responses. The sensor responses in this system, which is referred to as sensorgram, were interpreted by taking into account the volatile composition of the samples determined by GC.
Keywords: Aroma analysis; Dry-cured hams; MOS sensors; Volatile compounds.
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