This project examines the feasibility of a dielectric sensor system to detect and accurately analyze small quantities of hydrocarbon contaminants in water. The system would facilitate efforts to replace freon cleaning of spacecraft parts with precision aqueous cleaning, by providing an in situ method of detecting hydrocarbon contaminants in the part per million range. The sensor technology is based on a shunting dielectric sensor recently invented under a NASA Phase I SBIR project. For this subtopic application, the sensor technology must be improved to provide measurements that are seven orders of magnitude more sensitive than previously attempted, and innovative new software algorithms must be developed to predict ppm-level, hydrocarbon contamination in water. A new sensor that can accomplish these tasks will be developed. The sensor system will provide a unique, in situ capability to validate and potentially control the precision aqueous cleaning process, as well as provide a fast and potentially economical alternative for laboratory use.Potential commercial applications include facilitating replacement of CFC cleaning of semiconductor wafers with water cleaning, on-line detection of hydrocarbons in petrochemical wastes, and water quality analysis.water quality, CFC alternatives, dielectric measurement precision aqueous cleaning, hydrocarbon detection
