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Gas ovens may soon be equipped with a methane detector that sounds an alarm
well before a gas leak reaches explosive levels. The battery-powered sensor was
developed in France by engineers at the Atomic Energy Commission and the
National Institute of Industrial Environment and Risks. It contains a
platinum-coated filament that is heated intermittently to 800 °C for several
milliseconds. At this temperature platinum catalyses the combustion of methane,
which heats up the filament still further and triggers an alarm.