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US3977831A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method for detecting pollutants

Assignee: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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Filing: 1974-12-30
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Granted: 1976-08-31
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Expires: 1994-12-30
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Abstract

Abstract A method for detecting and measuring trace amounts of pollutants of the group consisting of ozone, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide in a gaseous environment wherein a sample organic solid material that will undergo a chemical reaction with the test pollutant is exposed to the test environment and thereafter, when heated in the temperature range of 100°-200°C., undergoes chemiluminescence that is measured and recorded as a function of concentration of the test pollutant and wherein the chemiluminescence of the solid organic material is specific to the pollutant being tested.

Inventors

  • 👤 with respect to an invention of Fletcher James C. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  • 👤 Robert S. Rogowski
  • 👤 Ralph R. Richards
  • 👤 Edmund J. Conway

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 14:15
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N31/00; G01N21/00; G01N21/75; G01N21/76; G01N21/766; G01N33/00; G01N33/0004; G01N33/0009; G01N33/0011; G01N33/0013; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T436/00; Y10T436/17; Y10T436/177692; Y10T436/178459; Y10T436/20; Y10T436/204998; Y10T436/205831; Y10T436/206664

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 134 words
A method for detecting and measuring trace amounts of pollutants of the group consisting of ozone, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide in a gaseous environment comprising: selecting a sample organic solid having the inherent property characteristics of chemically reacting with the gaseous pollutant being tested and thereafter undergoing chemiluminesence when heated, exposing the selected sample organic solid material to an environment suspected of containing at least one of said pollutants, and reacting said solid material with said one of said pollutants, heating the reacted sample organic solid material in the temperature range of 100°-200°C. for approximately one minute, detecting and measuring the light output from the sample solid organic material during the heating cycle, recording the total integrated light intensity measured during the heating cycle as a concentration of the specific pollutant being tested.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 134 words
A method for detecting and measuring trace amounts of pollutants of the group consisting of ozone, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide in a gaseous environment comprising: selecting a sample organic solid having the inherent property characteristics of chemically reacting with the gaseous pollutant being tested and thereafter undergoing chemiluminesence when heated, exposing the selected sample organic solid material to an environment suspected of containing at least one of said pollutants, and reacting said solid material with said one of said pollutants, heating the reacted sample organic solid material in the temperature range of 100°-200°C. for approximately one minute, detecting and measuring the light output from the sample solid organic material during the heating cycle, recording the total integrated light intensity measured during the heating cycle as a concentration of the specific pollutant being tested.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the atmospheric pollutant tested is ozone and the sample organic solid is selected from the group consisting of rubrene, poly(ethylene 2,6 naphthalene dicarboxylate), and 9,10 diphenyl anthracene.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the sample organic solid is a thin vapor deposited rubrene layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the atmospheric pollutant tested is nitrogen dioxide and the sample organic solid is selected from the group consisting of 3,5 diaminobenzoic acid and polyvinyl alcohol.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the atmospheric pollutant tested is carbon monoxide and the organic solid is polyvinyl pyrrolidone.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the atmospheric pollutant tested is ozone and the exposure to the solid organic solid is in the absence of light.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3528779A Cited
US3659100A Cited
US3749929A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1979-08-31 1980-03-01 1980-08-31 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1983-08-31 1984-03-01 1984-08-31 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1987-08-31 1988-03-01 1988-08-31 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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