Field-Portable, Real-Time Chemical Analysis Systems

Low-cost, high-resolution, field-portable chemical analysis systems are needed to meet critical detection requirements for environmental monitoring and sampling, and for the specific problem of chemical agent battle-field detection and nonproliferation monitoring. New technologies are needed to bring lab-quality performance to the field. An innovative ionization method is proposed that provides for highly specific mass analysis of multicomponent mixtures. The basic principles have been validated and there are no obstacles to transitioning the technology to a compact, field-portable unit that exceeds nearly all performance specifications of the competitive method of gaschromatography, mass spectrometry. The Phase I project will validate the efficiency of detecting chemical weapons convention-scheduled compounds and other broad classes of environmentally important compounds. A variety of sampler options will be examined, and engineering designs for a field-deployable Phase II prototype will be developed.