SBIR-STTR Award

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is a simple, rapid, real-time analytical technique based on the analysis of spectral emission from laser-induced micro plasmas. The Army is interested in deploying this technique in both a field portable instrument and on vehicular platforms (truck or plane) for remote sensing. Here we propose to enhance the sensitivity of LIBS by growing the LIBS micro plasma with microwaves. The resulting plasma will be larger and last significantly longer. The sensitivity should be enhanced by more than a factor of 1000. This plasma enhancement technique can be applied to both the configurations of field portable instruments and vehicular platforms. Phase I will demonstrate the enhancement technique in the laboratory and Phase II will produce a field portable instrument with enhanced sensitivity and a field test of the application for vehicular platforms.

Laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIBS) is an attractive technique that does not require sample preparation and can analyze solids, liquids and gases. It is a simple, rapid, real-time analytical technique based on analysis of spectral emission from laser-induced sparks or micro plasmas. The Army is interested in implementing the technique in a field portable instrument and possibly on airborne and vehicular platforms to analyze materials at distances of 100 meters. Because of the small size and short lifetime of the resulting LIBS micro plasmas, the minimum detection limit for a potential instrument is in the range of parts per million, in many cases. Furthermore, detection is less sensitive for any appreciable distances ~ 100 meters because the source is far away. Based upon Envimetricsí successful Phase I project, we propose to delivery a prototype field portable LIBS system to the Army. It will utilize microwave enhancement technology and the latest of LIBS technology to provide it with substantial improvement in LIBS detection limits. In addition, the Phase I results imply that LIBS at distances ~ 100 ñ 400 feet is possible in the near term. Envimetrics will be conducting a proof-of-principle experiment of LIBS at a distance.

Keywords:
Libs, Microwaves, Plasma