Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jude A Kelley

Roderick Russell Kunz

Richard Paul Kingsborough

Eric Morgan

Alla Ostrinskaya

Methods, systems, and compositions related to the recycling and/or recovery of activating materials from activated aluminum are disclosed. In one embodiment, an aqueous solution's composition may be controlled to maintain aluminum ions dissolved in solution during reaction of an activated aluminum. In another embodiment, aluminum hydroxide containing the activating materials may be dissolved into an aqueous solution to isolate the activating materials.

Recovery and recycling of byproducts of activated aluminum

The use of volatilization reagents is disclosed for improved detection of inorganic oxidizers such as, but not limited to, chlorates and perchlorates. Detection methods are disclosed whereby a reagent can transfer a proton to the anion (i.e., chlorate, perchlorate, etc.) of an inorganic salt analyte, forming an acid (i.e., chloric acid, perchloric acid) that is easier to detect by a mechanism whereby the acidified reagent is more easily vaporized, and hence, more easily detected. Concurrently, the anion of the acid forms a new salt with the cation released from the salt that was acidified. The reagents can also include acidic salts or cation-donators, more generally. In some embodiments, hydrated reagents or co-reagents that can release water can be employed.

Reagents for enhanced detection of low volatility analytes

Methods and reagents are disclosed for improved detection of inorganic oxidizers, such as but not limited to chlorates, perchlorates, permanganates, dichromates, and osmium tetraoxides. In one aspect of the invention, latent acid-generating reagents are employed that are chemically stable at room temperature but undergo an acidic transformation when exposed to an elevated temperature or radiation. The latent reagent can be activated by heat or radiation (e.g., UV radiation). The resulting acidic reagent can then transfer a proton to the anion (i.e., chlorate, perchlorate, etc.) of the target analyte, forming an acid (i.e., chloric acid, perchloric acid) that is more easily vaporized and, hence, more easily detected. In another aspect of the invention, heat-sensitive inorganic salts and/or photosensitive onium salts are disclosed as reagents to carry out this method. In various embodiments, these reagents can be embedded in a swipe or other substrate, infused onto the swipe or sample via nebulizer, or otherwise deployed in a desorption chamber of an ion mobility spectrometer or similar detector.

Substrate containing latent vaporization reagents

Volatilization reagents are disclosed for improved detection of inorganic oxidizers such as chlorates and perchlorates by mass spectrometry. Thermal desorption methods are also disclosed in which the reagent transfers a proton to the anion (i.e., chlorate, perchlorate, etc.) of an inorganic salt analyte, forming an acid (i.e., chloric acid, perchloric acid) that is more easily vaporized and, hence, more easily detected. The reagents can include acidic salts or cation-donators, more generally. The class of reagents including polymeric acids, polymeric organic acids and polymeric sulfonic acids. Hydrated reagents or other reagents that can release water can also be employed as co-reagents. Further, these reagents can be embedded in a swipe or other substrate, delivered as a liquid infused via nebulizer, or otherwise introduced to a sample to be tested.

Growing community of inventors

Sutton, MA, United States of America

Jude A Kelley