THE LOS ALAMOS TIP SHEET IS A MONTHLY SERVICE FOR SCIENCE JOURNALISTS AND EDITORS
IRONCLAD ANALYSIS
Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers are using statistical analysis in place of tedious chemistry to quantify impurities in steel and other products, reducing time and cost of analysis. Iron, the main elemental component of steel, interferes with the telltale signals of impurities in a sample when analyzed by atomic emission spectroscopy. Normally, the iron must be removed through a laborious chemical process. The extra step takes time and may contaminate the sample. But Los Alamos researchers now have a multivariate algorithm that uses the entire spectrum available from a spectral analysis, not just one wavelength, to mathematically tease out the signatures of impurities in the sample. The method works for analysis at levels below parts per million with fewer errors from contaminants. It could be applied to any product with a bulk component that interferes with spectroscopic analysis. Gary [email protected]
RANGER STARS IN BAGHDAD PALACE TOUR
A Los Alamos device that can sniff out and identify radioactive materials was used to inspect Iraqi presidential palaces by a United Nations Special Commission team seeking evidence of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. The Ranger device discovered a slightly radioactive thorium alloy in helicopter rotors, but no suspicious nuclear materials. CNN television showed a U.N. safeguards inspector using the Ranger at one palace, and officials familiar with the UNSCOM work said inspectors were enthusiastic about Ranger's usefulness in clarifying otherwise uncertain detections of radioactive materials. Ranger is a hand-held, real-time radiation sensor that helps locate radioactive materials and identify the isotopic source of the radiation. Los Alamos has transferred the Ranger technology to Quantrad Sensor Inc., a Santa Clara, Calif., instrument manufacturer
THE HOLE TRUTH
Workers who have to handle radioactive, biological or toxic materials could find better protection through a recently patented idea from Los Alamos researchers -- a method of forming protective materials that signal punctures or other breaches in real time. The method uses alternating layers of conducting and insulating materials and looks for changes in the electrical properties of the conductive layers. Tests have demonstrated that even a small puncture can change the resistance or capacitance, for example, between the two layers, signaling a breach. Various materials and manufacturing techniques are available for producing multilayer protective barriers with the required electrical properties. Such materials could be used in containment bags, liners and covers for storage containers, or in protective apparel such as gloves, aprons and boots. By allowing continuous monitoring and real-time detection, the method would improve worker safety, better protect the environment and reduce contamination costs by initiating a decontamination response before contaminants or toxins have spread significantly. Jim Danneskiold (505-667-1640) [email protected]
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