Detection of organic chemicals by SAW sensor array

A portable SAW sensor array instrument with integrated chemometric software has been developed to identify a variety of chemical classes like paraffinics, aromatics, chlorinated hydrocarbons, ketones and alcohols. The system was trained with known chemicals and a chemometric model was developed for two applications: bulk VOC identification and environmental monitoring of trace level VOCs. The instrument was then successfully tested in the lab and in the field for these two applications. The ability to identify and quantify these VOCs over a dynamic range from low ppm trace levels to high concentrations (close to the chemical's vapor pressure) was demonstrated. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.