Mechanisms underlying the cone penetrometer detection of energetic materials in soils
- Aerodyne Research, Inc., Billerica, MA (United States)
The Site Characterization and Analysis Penetrometer System (SCAPS) has demonstrated a variety of sensors for contaminants in soils. In this work, we focus on a sensor probe for the in situ detection of explosives. In a number of field tests, this probe has produced a very encouraging dataset, including good comparisons with laboratory and field chemical analyses of nearby soil samples. The components of each version of this probe have been an external pyrolyzer, a sweep gas flow which draws gases evolved from the soil into the probe, and electrochemical sensors (initially, a single sensor responding to nitric oxide, NO, a major decomposition product of all of the above energetic materials). We present results of a program of laboratory experiments, computer modeling, and analysis of the SCAPS field data, with the goal of constructing an approximate predictive model capable of correlating observations of NO for a variety of soil heating parameters. We conclude that contact between soil and heating element is required to reach soil temperatures adequate to produce observed signals, and that a low temperature, large area heating element will require more sensitive NO detection than did previous, high temperature pyrolysis probes.
- OSTI ID:
- 613761
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970113--; CNN: Contract DACA39-95-C-0036
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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