PURPOSE: To improve a gas detecting performance and simultaneously to prevent changes with time by adding one kind among simple substances of silver, gold, and platinum and the oxides thereof to a low-melting binder to obtain a gas detecting element.

CONSTITUTION: The materials 9 and 10, which are obtained by adding at least one kind selected from among simple substances of silver, gold, and platinum and the oxides thereof having high electroconductivity to a low-melting binder 9 for reducing the sintering temp. are mixed with a semiconductor 8 of metallic oxide such as tin oxide, zinc oxide, and iron oxide. The mixture is sintered to obtain a gas detecting element. The amt. to be added of the low-melting binder is regulated preferably to 10W30wt% for the metallic oxide semiconductor, and the amt. to be added of the simple substances of silver, gold, and platinum and oxides thereof is regulated preferably to 0.5W50wt% for the low-melting binder. The obtained gas detecting element has electroconductivity which is changeable in a wide range and an excellent gas detecting performance, and does not change with time.