THIN FILM SENSORS TO EVALUATE CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL THREATS TO ARMY STRUCTURES

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS HAVE LED TO THE NECESSITY FOR BATTLE READINESS IN A REGION WHERE CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AGENTS HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED IN THE PAST. AT PRESENT, LITTLE ATTENTION HAS BEEN PAID TO METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING THE CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF FREE STANDING STRUCTURES. THIS PROPOSAL SUGGESTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF OPTICAL SENSORS BASED ON THE INTERACTION BETWEEN SELF-ASSEMBLED THIN FILMS AND THE CHEMICAL SPECIES OF INTEREST. THE TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY IN THIS PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP OPTICALLY REACTIVE SELF-ASSEMBLED THIN FILMS FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A VARIETY OF MATERIALS TO IDENTIFY THE CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL STATE OF ARMY STRUCTURES. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDE EVALUATION OF OPTICAL MATERIALS AND COMPONENTS, DESIGN OF OPTICAL DETECTION SYSTEMS, FABRICATION OF FIBER OPTIC EMBEDDED STRUCTURES AND CALIBRATION AND TEST OF THE INSTRUMENT UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROPOSED WORK LIES IN THE AVOIDANCE OF POSSIBLE LOSS-OF-LIFE ASSOCIATED WITH STRUCTURAL CONTAMINATION IN THE CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL WARFARE ENVIRONMENT.