Chip Calorimetry for the Sensitive Identification of Hexogen and Pentrite from Their Decomposition inside Copper Oxide Nanoparticles

Abstract

Smart detection systems for explosive sensors are designed both to detect explosives in the air at trace level and identify the threat for a specific response. Following this need we have succeeded in using microthermal analysis to sensitively identify and discriminate between RDX and PETN explosive vapors at trace level. Once the explosive vapor is trapped in a porous material, heating the material at a fast rate of 3000 K/s up to 350 °C will result in a thermal pattern specifically corresponding to the explosive and its interaction with the porous material. The explosive signatures obtained make it possible to simultaneously identify the presence and the nature of the explosive vapor in just a few milliseconds. Therefore, this also allows the development of multitarget devices using porous material for capturing the vapor combined with microthermal analysis for fast detection and identification. So far it is the first time that chip calorimetry has been used to characterize and identify explosives in vapor state.

Biosynthesis and Fabrication of Copper Oxide Thin Films as a P-Type Semiconductor for Solar Cell Applications

“…In general, the obtained results correspond to those of previous studies of [34,35,[39][40][41][42], which was also demonstrated by the Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis in the subsequent section that the synthesized material was solely CuO. of previous studies of [34,35,[39][40][41][42], which was also demonstrated by the Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis in the subsequent section that the synthesized material was solely CuO.…”

“…The morphological and structural features of the CuO film (Figure 2) which were deposited on a glass substrate and heat-treated at 400 • C for 3 h, were examined using the SEM analysis. The image from the SEM analysis displayed significant interparticle porosities which allowed the passage of vapor [34]. However, the size of the synthesized material (16.7 nm) is still within the nanometer range, but with a non-homogenous structure [35], while the film thickness was calculated to be 106.4 nm similar to previous studies of Lai et al [36], Shariffudin et al [37], and Lee & Wang [38].…”

Investigation of the co-identification of hexogen and pentrite as particles and co-adsorbed on copper oxide nanoparticles by using nanocalorimetry

“…10 In a recent article, we have shown that chip calorimetry can be used to identify the nature of an explosive which has been previously adsorbed on a porous material. 13 We performed fast heating experiments on copper oxide nanoparticles which had been previously subjected to either hexogen (RDX) or pentrite (PETN) vapours. It resulted in a thermal pattern dependent on which explosives had been previously adsorbed.…”

“…An adsorbed explosive can then be identied by its thermal signature when it desorbs. 13 This signature is specic to each explosive adsorbed on a nanomaterial. The nanocalorimetry technique makes it possible to discriminate between these two separately adsorbed explosives.…”

“…The gaseous adsorption of a mixed RDX-PETN vapour was carried out by subjecting approximately 2 mg of copper oxide nanoparticles to the vapour ow, following a procedure and a methodology for generating vapours and adsorbing them on the nanoparticles which are well described in previous articles. 13,17 To diffuse the two explosive vapours at a 3 : 2 molar ratio in the air, 5 mg of each explosive was rst dispersed physically on two separate batches of glass beads. The mass of the explosive and the volume of beads used for this dispersion were determined in accordance with the recommendations of Bonnot et al with respect to the critical diameter of explosives.…”