The application of single particle aerosol mass spectrometry for the detection and identification of high explosives and chemical warfare agents

Abstract

were also analyzed, and peaks due to the explosive components of each sample were present in each spectrum. Mass spectral variability with laser fluence is discussed. The ability of the SPAMS system to identify explosive components in a single complex explosive particle (~1 pg) without the need for consumables is demonstrated.SPAMS was also applied to the detection of Chemical Warfare Agent (CWA) simulants in the liquid and vapor phases. Liquid simulants for sarin, cyclosarin, tabun, and VX were analyzed; peaks indicative of each simulant were identified. Vapor phase CWA simulants were adsorbed onto alumina, silica, Zeolite, activated carbon, and metal powders which were directly analyzed using SPAMS. The use of metal powders as adsorbent materials was especially useful in the analysis of triethyl phosphate (TEP), a VX stimulant, which was undetectable using SPAMS in the liquid phase. The capability of SPAMS to detect high explosives and CWA simulants using one set of operational conditions is established.iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Supramicrometer particle shadowgraph imaging in the ionization region of a single particle aerosol mass spectrometer

“…Its utilization has been reported by a number of groups in recent years (Ferge et al, 2006;Fergenson et al, 2004;Gard et al, 1997;Johnston & Wexler, 1995;Kievit, Weiss, Verheijen, Marijnissen, & Scarlett, 1996;Nash, Baer, & Johnston, 2006;Suess & Prather, 1999;Tobias et al, 2005) and applied to fields ranging from atmospheric chemistry (Cziczo et al, 2004;Jost et al, 2004) to microbiology (Fergenson et al, 2004;Steele et al, 2003). Single particle detection for homeland security applications have also been investigated for explosives, chemical weapon agents, and drugs, at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) (Martin, Farquar, Gard, Frank, & Fergenson, 2007a, 2007bMartin, Farquar, Jones, & Frank, 2007). Schematic of an SPAMS system.…”