Thermoluminescent aerosol analysis
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorsRobert S. Rogowski, Edward R. Long, Jr.
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Abstract
A method for detecting and measuring trace amounts of aerosols when reacted with ozone in a gaseous environment wherein a sample aerosol is exposed to a fixed ozone concentration for a fixed period of time, a fluorescer added to the exposed sample and thereafter the sample heated in a 30.degree. C/minute linear temperature profile to 200.degree. C. undergoes thermoluminescence the trace peak thereof is measured and recorded as a function of the test aerosol and wherein the recorded thermoluminescence trace peak of the fluorescer is specific to the aerosol being tested.
Claims7
A method for detecting and identifying trace amounts of aerosols in an atmospheric environment comprising:
- collecting a sample of the aerosol to be tested;
- exposing the collected sample to a controlled gaseous environment having a known quantity of ozone therein, for a fixed period of time, to thereby facilitate an aerosol/ozone reaction;
- adding a fluorescer indicator to the reacted sample;
- heating the combined sample at a linear programmed rate of 30.degree. C/min to a temperature of 200.degree. C.;
- detecting the thermoluminescence of the fluorescer during the heating cycle, and
- recording a trace of the thermoluminescent output during the heating cycle with the peak output thereof being indicative of the specific aerosol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.