SBIR-STTR Award

Miniature, Handheld Chemical Warfare Material Detection System for Treaty Verification Using Gas Chromatography/Ion
Award last edited on: 7/31/2002

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOD : DTRA
Total Award Amount
$55,333
Award Phase
1
Solicitation Topic Code
DNA93-012
Principal Investigator
Neil S Arnold

Company Information

Femtoscan Corporation

240 West 300 North Suite 101
Salt Lake City, UT 84103
   (801) 466-7117
   sales@femtoscan.com
   www.femtoscan.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 02
County: Salt Lake

Phase I

Contract Number: DNA001-93-C-0214
Start Date: 9/29/1993    Completed: 3/29/1994
Phase I year
1993
Phase I Amount
$55,333
Accurate chemical analysis at potential sites of Chemical Warfare (CW) agent manufacture, storage or use is of great value for determination of CW treaty violations and for verification of destruction or removal of CW agent systems. Recent developments in hand-held gas chromatography/ion mobility spectrometry (GC/IMS) for direct air monitoring have illustrated the potential of this technique for rapid (<1 min), sensitive (<.0006 Mg/m3 using CW stimulant materials), analyses of CW agents. The proposed work seeks to produce a system capable of rapid detection, identification and monitoring of a broad range of CW agents, precursor chemicals, decomposition products and incineration by-products at the levels required for treaty verification, stockpile surveillance and demilitarization. This technical approach combines a novel air sampling inlet with a short capillary GC column and a civilian version of the successful CAM (Chemical Agent Monitor) type ins device. In view of its greatly increased specificity, dynamic range and linearity, GC/IMS represents a quantum leap in performance over ins systems while preserving hand-portability, simplicity, ruggedness and maintainability as well as high sensitivity. GC/IMS offers the only combined chromatography/spectroscopy approach which can be readily incorporated into a hand-portable device. Phase I objectives are to: (i) compile literature data on cw agent precursors, decomposition products and incineration by-products; (2) carry out feasibility tests on representative chemicals; (3) investigate the feasibility of surface contamination detection; (4) develop specifications for prototype systems to be developed under Phase II.

Phase II

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase II year
----
Phase II Amount
----