Challenges of developing a GC/IMS based personal chemical hazard detector
- FemtoScan Corp., Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
- Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Center for Micro Analysis and Reaction Chemistry
Hand-portable gas chromatography/ion mobility spectrometry (GC/IMS) techniques have been identified as a promising area of development for field and process related analytical problems. Recent development of extremely small (15 inch) personal IMS detection devices offer new prospects for creating a miniaturized GC/IMS unit. This paper provides a feasibility examination of personal GC/IMS based on the automated vapor sampling-transfer line gas chromatography (AVS-TLGC) approach previously utilized in developing hand-portable GC/IMS instrumentation. Special focus is placed upon developing low power strategies for implementing this approach. The means for achieving low power operation for extended personal use has focused on pulsed, on-demand operation of the sampling systems, low (ambient) temperature GC operation, reduced GC flow rates and pressure drops and modification of the internal IMS system flows. Development efforts to date have utilized an existing prototype miniature IMS device, the GI-MINI from Graseby Ionics coupled with modified Enviroprobe AVS-TLGC equipment developed by FemtoScan. Effect of parameters such as GC column position, temperature and carrier gas flow as well as IMS purge flows are examined for their effects upon sensitivity and resolution in breadboard GC/IMS test instrument. An evaluation of the remaining engineering hurdles limiting the development of personal GC/IMS are also presented.
- OSTI ID:
- 276397
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950209-; TRN: IM9636%%161
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 4. international symposium on field screening methods for hazardous wastes and toxic chemicals, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 22-24 Feb 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Field screening methods for hazardous wastes and toxic chemicals. VIP-47, Volume 2; PB: 701 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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