LASER-INDUCED BREAKDOWN SPECTROSCOPY FOR REAL-TIME DETECTION OF HALONALTERNATIVE AGENTS

We report the results of an evaluation of laser-induced breakdown spec troscopy (LIBS) for the detection of candidate halon replacement compo unds (CF4, CF3H, CF2H2, C2F5H) The fundamental (1.064 mu m) from a Nd: YAG Q-switched pulsed laser was focused into an air flow containing 0 .0005-5% of the analyte halocarbon compounds, The laser-produced plasm a emission consists of a large number of intense fluorine atom lines i n the 600-850 nm spectral range. Limit-of-detection studies indicate t hat LIES can detect these compounds in the parts per million range, Al so, we have recorded single-shot LIBS spectra with good signal-to-nois e ratios using an intensified photodiode array. Our results indicate t hat LIBS is a promising detection technique for in situ and real-time measurement of halons during use in full-scale fire suppression testin g.