Interfacial Donor–Acceptor Nanofibril Composites for Selective Alkane Vapor Detection
Alkane fuel is a key ingredient in combustible material such as gasoline, airplane fuel, oil – even a homemade bomb. Yet it’s difficult to detect and there are no portable scanners available that can sniff out the odorless and colorless vapor. But University of Utah engineers have developed a new type of fiber composite for a handheld scanner that can detect small traces of alkane fuel vapor, a valuable advancement that could be an early-warning signal for leaks in an oil pipeline, an airliner, or for locating a terrorist’s explosive. It involves two nanofibers transferring electrons from one to the other.
“These are 2 materials that interact well together by having electrons transferring from one to another,” says Ben Bunes. “When an alkane is present, it sticks in between the two materials, blocking the electron transfer between the two nanofibers.” That kind of interaction would then signal the detector that the alkane vapor is present. Vaporsens, a University of Utah spin-off company, has designed a prototype of the handheld detector with an array of 16 sensor materials that will be able to identify a broad range of chemicals including explosives. This new composite material will be incorporated into the sensor array to include the detection of alkanes. Vaporsens plans to introduce the device on the market in 1.5 yrs.
Such a small sensor device that can detect alkane vapor will benefit 3 main categories:
~Oil pipelines. If leaks from pipelines are not detected early enough, the resulting leaked oil could contaminate the local environment and water sources. Typically, only large leaks in pipelines can be detected if there is a drop in pressure. Zang’s portable sensor – when placed along the pipeline – could detect much smaller leaks before they become bigger.
~Airplane fuel tanks. Fuel for aircraft is stored in removable “bladders” made of flexible fabric. The only way a leak can be detected is by seeing the dyed fuel seeping from the plane and then removing the bladder to inspect it. Zang’s sensors could be placed around the bladder to warn a pilot if a leak is occurring in real time and where it is located.
~Security. The scanner will be designed to locate the presence of explosives such as bombs at airports or in other buildings. Many explosives, such as the bomb used in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, use fuel oils like diesel as one of its major components. These fuel oils are forms of alkane. http://unews.utah.edu/sniffing-out-a-dangerous-vapor/
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