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US 4,251,726 AGranted
Deuterium tagged articles such as explosives and method for detection thereof
OwnerLuis W. Alvarezinventor
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OwnerLuis W. Alvarezinventor
Estimating the term…
Deuterium tagging in an amount at least ten (10) times the natural abundance of the deuterium isotope occurrence is disclosed. A composition of matter, including the group consisting of hydrogen containing compounds having at least one atom which is not oxygen and at least about ten (10) times the naturally occurring deuterium is disclosed. Preferred use is set forth in tagging explosives. A method of detecting the tagged article, such as explosives concealed in airline luggage includes subjecting tagged compounds with energy quanta sufficient to carry out the reaction D.fwdarw.n+p-2.23 MeV and detecting the number of neutrons generated is disclosed where n is a neutron, p is a proton and 2.23 MeV is the threshold energy required for the reaction. The apparatus, including a conveyor and a vertically scanning shutter is disclosed in combination with a linear accelerator for generating the X-ray energy in the order of 4 MeV and a boron triflouride proportional counter for detecting neutrons. Specific limitations are disclosed which readily adapt the method of tagged article detection to tagged explosives in airline luggage.
Apparatus useful for the detection of deuterium tagged articles comprising:
A method of scanning a series of conveyed articles for randomly placed deuterium tagged articles comprising the steps of:
A method of detecting a deuterium tagged article comprising the steps of exposing said article to pulses of energy quanta sufficient to carry out the following reaction but less than energy quanta of about 4.14 MeV:
A method of tagging hydrogen-containing explosives comprising substituting deuterium for at least about 10 out of every 6900 hydrogen atoms.
A method for tagging non-hydrogen containing explosives comprising the step of adding deuterium.
A novel composition of matter selected from the group consisting of hydrogen containing compounds having at least one atom which is not oxygen and at least about 10 times the amount of naturally occurring deuterium and hydrogen and non-hydrogen containing compositions and mixtures thereof comprising deuterium.
A novel composition of matter comprising hydrogen, oxygen and at least one other element, said hydrogen comprising at least about 10 times the naturally occurring amount of deuterium.
A novel composition of matter comprising hydrogen and at least one element other than oxygen, said hydrogen comprising at least about 0.1449 percent more deuterium than would naturally be present.
A novel composition of matter comprising hydrogen and at least one atom other than oxygen, said hydrogen comprising at least about 10 times the naturally occurring deuterium.
A novel composition of matter comprising a hydrogen-containing explosive, said hydrogen comprising at least about 0.14 percent by weight deuterium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.