title: Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) Molecular Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Emissions of Thin Solid Explosive Powder Films Deposited on Aluminum Substrates.
abstract: Thin solid films made of high nitro (NO2)/nitrate (NO3) content explosives were deposited on sand-blasted aluminum substrates and then studied using a mercury-cadmium-telluride (MCT) linear array detection system that is capable of rapidly capturing a broad spectrum of atomic and molecular laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) emissions in the long-wave infrared region (LWIR; ∼5.6-10 µm). Despite the similarities of their chemical compositions and structures, thin films of three commonly used explosives (RDX, HMX, and PETN) studied in this work can be rapidly identified in the ambient air by their molecular LIBS emission signatures in the LWIR region. A preliminary assessment of the detection limit for a thin film of RDX on aluminum appears to be much lower than 60 µg/cm2. This LWIR LIBS setup is capable of rapidly probing and charactering samples without the need for elaborate sample preparation and also offers the possibility of a simultaneous ultraviolet visible and LWIR LIBS measurement.
authors.affiliation: 1 Battelle Eastern Science and Technology Center, Aberdeen, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Clayton S-C
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: 2 Brimrose Corporation of America, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: 2 Brimrose Corporation of America, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Sudhir B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Trivedi
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Physics, Hampton University, Hampton, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Ei E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Physics, Hampton University, Hampton, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hommerich
authors.affiliation: 4 Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Ashish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tripathi
authors.affiliation: 4 Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Alan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Samuels
keywords: LIBS; Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy; explosives; long-wave infrared spectra