Vaporizing Non-Volatile Explosives via Chemical Reagent
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Solution Overview
Problem
Detection systems that rely on vaporization, such as mass spectrometry and ion mobility spectrometry, struggle to identify contraband substances like explosives due to their low volatility, particularly inorganic oxidizer salts used in homemade explosives, which are difficult to vaporize and detect.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a two-step desorption process using a thermal desorber and a reagent to increase the volatility of non-volatile substances, where a reagent is deposited on a sampling trap to convert the substances into a more volatile form, allowing for effective vaporization and detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If detection systems rely on vaporization to detect substances, then detection capability is improved for volatile substances, but detection fails for non-volatile substances such as inorganic oxidizer salts
Solution Approach 1:
A chemical reagent is introduced as an intermediary substance that reacts with non-volatile target compounds (such as inorganic oxidizer salts) to form volatile reaction products. This mediator enables the detection system to detect non-volatile substances by converting them into a detectable vapor phase form, resolving the contradiction between maintaining vaporization-based detection and expanding adaptability to non-volatile substances
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical parameters of the target substance by inducing a chemical reaction that transforms non-volatile compounds into volatile compounds. This parameter change (from non-volatile to volatile state) allows the substance to become compatible with vaporization-based detection systems, simultaneously improving detection capability for previously undetectable substances
2Temperature
If thermal desorption is used to vaporize substances for detection, then volatile substances can be detected, but non-volatile substances cannot be effectively vaporized
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of attempting to vaporize non-volatile substances directly through high temperature, the invention changes the chemical composition parameter by introducing a reagent that reacts with the non-volatile substance to form a volatile product. This chemical transformation allows effective vaporization at lower temperatures, improving both temperature efficiency and detection reliability for non-volatile substances
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the detection of low-volatility substances by converting them into a more volatile state, enabling successful identification and analysis within detection systems, improving the detection of contraband materials like explosives.
Implementation Method 1
depositing a reagent on the trap, wherein the reagent increases the volatility of the substance of interest
Implementation Method 2
desorbing the substance of interest for a second period of time, wherein desorbing the substance of interest for a second period of time includes vaporizing the substance of interest
Implementation Method 3
increasing the temperature within the desorber; vaporizing the substance of interest
Implementation Method 4
collecting a sample of a substantially non-volatile substance of interest on a sampling trap
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for detecting a chemical substance. The methods and systems include chemically modifying a sample of a substance of interest through combination with a reagent to increase the volatility of the substance of interest. The systems and methods further include performing an analysis of the substance of interest.