High speed detection of vapors of specific compounds

Details High speed detection of vapors of specific compounds High speed detection of vapors of specific compounds

1987-07-08

1992-03-03

Nelson, Peter A.

Measuring and testing

Instrument proving or calibrating

Volume of flow, speed of flow, volume rate of flow, or mass...

73 35, 73167, 436156, 55 67, G01K 1900, B01D 1508

Patent

active

050921550

ABSTRACT:
A highly selective, sensitive, fast detection system and method are disclosed for detecting vapors of specific compounds in air. Vapors emanating from compounds such as explosives, or stripped from surfaces using heat and suction from a hand-held sample gun, are collected on surfaces coated with gas chromatograph (GC) material which trap explosives vapors but repel nitric oxide, then are desorbed and concentrated in one or more cold spot concentrators. A high speed gas chromatograph (GC) separates the vapors, after which specific vapors are decomposed in two pyrolyzers arranged in parallel and the resulting nitric oxide is detected. A low temperature pyrolyzer with silver produces NO from nitramines or nitrite esters; a high temperature pyrolyzer decomposes all explosives vapors to permit detection of the remaining explosives. Also disclosed is a series arrangement of pyrolyzers and gas chromatographs and an NO detector to time-shift detection of certain vapors and facilitate very fast GC analyses. The use of hydrogen as a carrier gas, plus unique collectors and concentrators, high speed heaters, NO detectors, and very fast, temperature-programmable GC's enhance selectivity, sensitivity and speed of detection.

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