Trace Contaminant Detection and Remediation System

To address the Air Force’s need for identifying and mitigating contaminants to prevent bond failure, Intellisense Systems, Inc. (ISI) proposes to develop a new Trace Contamination Detection and Remediation (TCODR) system based on a novel sensor fusion design to improve the composite bonding processes by providing improved and reliable detection accuracy of trace contaminants. Specifically, the TCODR system combines optical spectroscopic sensing, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and fluorescent spectroscopy to remotely identify and quantify the common contaminants found often in manufacturing facilities, and to determine the most suitable remediation method to prevent bond failure. As a result, this technology enhances the bonding process by offering appropriate cleaning methods for surfaces contaminated by one or several substances. The TCODR system can integrate seamlessly into the manufacturing process while reducing the cost of high sensitivity surface inspection, which directly addresses the Air Force requirements for a system to prevent bond failure in composite materials. In Phase I, ISI will demonstrate the feasibility of TCODR by assessing bond performance in a variety of contamination conditions. In Phase II, ISI plans to develop a prototype and demonstrate the methodology to detect and remediate contamination of bond surface at scaled level, reaching MRL-6.