A system for analyzing and characterizing environmental chemicals and explosives and a propoasal for its miniaturization

• Main Author: Sonnen, Steven J.
• Other Authors: Kocher, Carl A.
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Explosives > Testing; Terrorism > Prevention
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1957/36761

Electron capture negative ion mass spectroscopy (ECNIMS) has been performed on environmental chemicals and explosives. A trochoidal electron monochromator interfaced to a gas chromatograph and a quadrupole mass spectrometer allows compounds to be studied by this method. The method employed here differs from standard ECNIMS in that no reagent gas is used to moderate electron energies. Several explosives were analyzed using this system, as were chlorinated compounds obtained from the lipid fraction of Arctic trout muscle. A miniaturized version of the system would be advantageous as a portable apparatus for field use. Among the required modifications would be the installation of cylindrical permanent magnets to replace the Helmholtz coils used for generating the magnetic field for the monochromator. Tests suggest that the trochoidal electron monochromator component of the system can be reduced in volume by a factor of 200 without an appreciable loss of energy resolution. === Graduation date: 1994