Skip to main content
Intended for healthcare professionals
Restricted access
Research article
First published online March 14, 2017

Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) Molecular Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Emissions of Thin Solid Explosive Powder Films Deposited on Aluminum Substrates

Clayton S.-C. Yang [email protected], Feng Jin, Sudhir B. Trivedi, Ei E. Brown, Uwe Hommerich, Ashish Tripathi, and Alan C. SamuelsView all authors and affiliations
Volume 71, Issue 4
https://doi.org/10.1177/0003702817696089

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.

Get full access to this article

View all access and purchase options for this article.

Get Access

References

1. Wynn C.M., Palmacci S., Kunz R.R., Rothshild M. “A Novel Method for Remotely Detecting Trace Explosives”. Lincoln Lab. J 2008; 17(2): 21–33.
Google Scholar
2. Skvortsov L.A., Maksimov E.M. “Application of Laser Photothermal Spectroscopy for Standoff Detection of Trace Explosive Residues on Surfaces”. Quantum Electronics 2010; 40(7): 565–578.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
3. Skvortsov L.A. “Laser Methods for Detecting Explosive Residues on Surfaces of Distant Objects”. Quantum Electronics 2012; 42(1): 1–11.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
4. Yang C.S.-C., Brown E.E., Hommerich U., Trivedi S.B., Samuels A.C., et al. “Mid-Infrared Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Emissions from Alkali Metal Halides”. Appl. Spectrosc 2008; 62(6): 714–716.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
5. Yang C.S.-C., Brown E.E., Hommerich U., Trivedi S.B., Samuels A.C., et al. “Atomic and Molecular Emissions Observed from Mid-Infrared Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy”. Spectroscopy 2008; 23(1): 29–33.
ISI
Google Scholar
6. Yang C.S.-C., Brown E., Hommerich U., Trivedi S.B., Samuels A.C., et al. “Mid-Infrared Emission from Laser-induced Breakdown Processes”. Appl. Spectrosc 2007; 61(3): 321–326.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
7. Yang C.S.-C., Brown E., Hommerich U., Jin F., Trivedi S.B., et al. “Long-Wave, Infrared Laser-Induced Breakdown (LIBS) Spectroscopy Emissions from Energetic Materials”. Appl. Spectrosc 2012; 66(12): 1397–1402.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
8. Yang C.S.-C., Brown E., Kumi-Barimah E., Hommerich U., Jin F., et al. “Mid-Infrared, Long Wave Infrared (4-12 µm) Molecular Emission Signatures from Pharmaceuticals Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)”. Appl. Spectrosc 2014; 68(2): 226–231.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
9. Yang C.S.-C., Brown E., Kumi-Barimah E., Hommerich U., Jin F., et al. “Rapid Long-Wave Infrared Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Measurements Using a Mercury-Cadmium-Telluride Linear Array Detection System”. Appl. Opt 2015; 54(33): 9695–9702.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
10. Yang C.S.-C., Jin F., Trivedi S.B., Brown E., Hommerich U., et al. “Time Resolved Long-Wave Infrared Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy of Inorganic Energetic Materials by a Rapid Mercury-Cadmium-Telluride Linear Array Detection System”. Appl. Opt 2016; 55(32): 9166–9172.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
11. De Lucia F.C., Harmon R.S., McNesby K.L., Winkel R.J., Miziolek A.W. “Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Analysis of Energetic Materials”. Appl. Opt 2003; 42(30): 6148–6152.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
12. J. L. Gottfried, F.C. De Lucia Jr, C.A. Munson, C. Ford, A.W. Miziolek. “Detection of Energetic Materials and Explosive Residues with Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy: II. Stand-off Measurements”. Army Research Lab Report. 2007. ARL-TR-4241.
Google Scholar
13. De Lucia F.C. Jr, Gottfried J.L., Munson C.A., Miziolek A.W. “Double Pulse Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy of Explosives: Initial Study Towards Improved Discrimination”. Spectrochim. Acta, Part B 2007; 62(12): 1399–1404.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
14. C.S.C. Yang, B.R. Williams, A. Tripathi, M.S. Hulet, A.C. Samuels, et al. “Spectral Characterization of RDX, ETN, PETN, TATP, HMTD, HMX, and C-4 in the Mid-Infrared Region”. U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center Report. 2013. ECBC-TR-1243.
Google Scholar
15. G.R. Miller, A.N. Garroway. “A Review of the Crystal Structures of Common Explosives. Part I: RDX, HMX, TNT, PETN, and Tetryl”. Naval Research Lab. Report. 2001. NRL/MR/6120-01-8585.
Google Scholar
16. Emmons E.D., Farrell M.E., Holthoff E.L., Tripathi A., Green N., et al. “Characterization of Polymorphic States in Energetic Samples of 1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-Triazine (RDX) Fabricated Using Drop-on Demand Inkjet Technology”. Appl. Spectrosc 2012; 66(6): 628–635.
Crossref
PubMed
ISI
Google Scholar
17. R.I. Castillo. “Theoretical and Experimental Vibrational and NMR Studies of α and β-RDX”. [Ph.D. dissertation.] University of Puerto Rico. 2008.
Google Scholar
18. Brand H.V., Rabie R.L., Funk D.J., Diaz-Acosta I., Pulay P., et al. “Theoretical and Experimental Study of the Vibrational Spectra of the α, β, and δ Phases of Octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX)”. J. Phys. Chem. B 2002; 106(41): 10594–10604.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
19. Levitas V.I., Henson B.F., Smilowitz L.B., Asay B.W. “Solid−Solid Phase Transformation via Internal Stress-induced Virtual Melting, Significantly below the Melting Temperature. Application to HMX Energetic Crystal”. J. Phys. Chem. B 2006; 110(20): 10105–10119.
Google Scholar
20. Gruzdkov Y.A., Gupta Y.M. “Vibrational Properties and Structure of Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate”. J. Phys. Chem. A 2001; 105(25): 6197–6202.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
21. Ritzhaupt G., Devlin J.P. “Infrared Spectra of Nitric and Hydrochloric Acid Hydrate Thin Films”. J. Phys. Chem 1991; 95(1): 90–95.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
22. L.C. Speitel. “Fourier Transform Infrared Analysis of Combustion Gases”. U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Report. 2001. DOT/FAA/AR-01/88.
Google Scholar
23. Ortega I.K., Escribano R., Fernández D., Herreroa V.J., Maté B., et al. “The Structure and Vibrational Frequencies of Crystalline Nitric Acid”. Chem. Phys. Lett 2003; 378(1–2): 218–223.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar
24. Hartland G.V., Qin D., Dai H.-L., Chen C. “Collisional Energy Transfer of Highly Vibrationally Excited NO2: The Role of Intramolecular Vibronic Coupling and the Transition Dipole Coupling Mechanism”. J. Chem. Phys 1997; 107(8): 2890–2902.
Crossref
ISI
Google Scholar

Cite article

Cite article

Cite article

OR

Download to reference manager

If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice

Share options

Share

Share this article

Share with email
EMAIL ARTICLE LINK
Share on social media

Share access to this article

Sharing links are not relevant where the article is open access and not available if you do not have a subscription.

For more information view the Sage Journals article sharing page.

Information, rights and permissions

Information

Published In

Volume 71, Issue 4
Pages: 728 - 734
Article first published online: March 14, 2017
Issue published: April 2017

Keywords

  1. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
  2. LIBS
  3. long-wave infrared spectra
  4. explosives

Rights and permissions

© The Author(s) 2017.
Request permissions for this article.
PubMed: 28374608

Authors

Affiliations

Clayton S.-C. Yang
Battelle Eastern Science and Technology Center, Aberdeen, MD, USA
[email protected]
View all articles by this author
Feng Jin
Brimrose Corporation of America, Baltimore, MD, USA
View all articles by this author
Sudhir B. Trivedi
Brimrose Corporation of America, Baltimore, MD, USA
View all articles by this author
Ei E. Brown
Department of Physics, Hampton University, Hampton, VA, USA
View all articles by this author
Uwe Hommerich
Department of Physics, Hampton University, Hampton, VA, USA
View all articles by this author
Ashish Tripathi
Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA
View all articles by this author
Alan C. Samuels
Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA
View all articles by this author

Notes

Clayton S.-C. Yang Battelle Eastern Science and Technology Center, Aberdeen, MD 21001, USA. Email: [email protected]

Metrics and citations

Metrics

Journals metrics

This article was published in Applied Spectroscopy.

VIEW ALL JOURNAL METRICS

Article usage*

Total views and downloads: 210

*Article usage tracking started in December 2016

Articles citing this one

Receive email alerts when this article is cited

Web of Science: 13 view articles Opens in new tab

Crossref: 18

  1. Coupling effect on the thermal hazard assessment of hazardous chemical...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  2. Spectroscopic comparisons of two different terrestrial basaltic enviro...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  3. Recent advances in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for explosive ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  4. Long-wave infrared laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of complex gas...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  5. Applications of Laser‐Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for Trace Detecti...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  6. Comparative Long-Wave Infrared Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Em...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  7. Ground-Based Hyperspectral Image Surveillance System for Explosive Det...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  8. Remote Raman Detection of Trace Explosives by Laser Beam Focusing and ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  9. Application of Molecular Emissions in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectros...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  10. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for the detection and characteriz...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  11. Spectroscopic characterization of samples from different environments ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  12. Concept and Design of a Compact Laser System for Remote Measurements U...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  13. Interpol review of detection and characterization of explosives and ex...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  14. Ground-Based Hyperspectral Image Surveillance Systems for Explosive De...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  15. In situ chemical analysis of geology samples by a rapid simultaneous u...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  16. Concept and design of a compact laser system for remote measurements b...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  17. Recent Developments in Spectroscopic Techniques for the Detection of E...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  18. Femtosecond laser induced breakdown spectroscopy based standoff detect...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar

Figures and tables

Figures & Media

Tables

View Options

Get access

Access options

If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:

ASP members can access this journal content using society membership credentials.

MEMBERSHIP LOGIN

ASP members can access this journal content using society membership credentials.

MEMBERSHIP LOGIN

Alternatively, view purchase options below:

Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.

Subscribe to this journal

Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.

Start 2 week free trial
Need help?

View options

PDF/ePub

View PDF/ePub

Full Text

View Full Text
View full text|Download PDF

Also from Sage