Abstract: A sample heater assembly which permits the detection of low volatility agents by existing chemical agent detectors is described. Existing chemical agent detectors often lack the capability to accurately detect low volatility agents, such as the chemical warfare agent VX. The sample heater assembly provides this capability by heating low volatility agents to vaporization and interfacing with the existing chemical agent detector. The sample heater assembly comprises a sample containment reservoir for holding the low volatility agent sample, which can be attached to the chemical agent detector, and a heating element which attaches to the sample containment reservoir for heating the sample.

Abstract: A method for the simultaneous detection, separation and analysis by reverse hase HPLC of sulfur mustard type compounds and their major hydrolysis and oxidation by-products utilizes a novel precolumn enhancement derivatization procedure. The method involves the reaction of these nonchromophoric sulfides with N-halogeno-N-metal arylsulfonamidates on a microscale to produce UV or visible absorbing or fluorescing arylsulfonylsulfilimine compounds. These arylsulfonylsulfilimine derivatives can then be readily separated on a low polarity C-18 column by reverse phase HPLC. The method permits quantitation of these sulfides by UV detector response in quantities as small as 20 nanograms.