Improved Filters for Chemical Warfare Agent Detectors

Sensera, Inc. proposes to develop a filter that will allow more efficient passage of chemical warfare agents such as nerve agents while excluding liquid water and other contaminants. The proposed filter will be applicable to the JCAD and LCAD chemicalwarfare agent detection systems. Sensera's filter is superior to the PTFE type since it will not exhibit a "sticky" behavior towards nerve agents.The suggested phase I program will demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed filter material and will evaluate its performance in terms of permeability to nerve agent simulants. During Phase II, we will build filter assemblies and will test them usingactual CWA detectors. The commercial applications for the sensors that would utilize the proposed filter include: hazardous material emergency response units, environmental pollution monitoring and cleanup, firefighter applications, hazardous gas detection in commercial andresidential applications, and industrial monitoring of chemical plant operations.