Chemical, Biological, and Explosives Indicator Ticket

For mission success in the modern operational environment, chemical threat agents must be rapidly detected and accurately identified. Currently M8 and M9 papers are used, but these are restricted in the types of agents that can be detected and are handicapped by high rates of false identifications. In Phase I, highly selective color change chemical reactions were formulated and deployed onto paper indicators strips (tickets). Over the course of the Phase II study, a single indicator ticket composition was developed to exhibit clear and distinct human readable visual color changes that are unique to each of the CWA classes (G, H, V, A, and L agents). Hence, simplifying agent detection and presumptive identification. The detection procedure is by surface blotting, providing distinct color changes that develop within 15 seconds, trace levels of threat agent are detected with low risk of false positives. Indicator tickets are low cost, utilize commercially available materials, and are prepared using methods compatible with commercial production. The Sequential Phase II effort should result in two new classes of technologies: i) paper-based CWA color-changing indicator tickets and ii) CWA-detecting microsensors. These developed technology platforms are expected to rapidly and reliably provide the ability to screen for potential chemical threat agents. This is a critical capability that is important to expeditionary and reconnaissance teams in a variety of military operations as it enables warfighters with greater situational awareness and survivability, and therefore, increased lethality.