ASABE Technical Library - Abstract
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Applications of Ion-Mobility Spectrometry to the Cotton Ginning Industry
Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org
Citation: Paper number 021148, 2002 ASAE Annual Meeting . (doi: 10.13031/2013.9151) @2002Authors: Paul A. Funk, Gary A. Eiceman
Keywords: Ion Mobility Spectrometry, Gas Chromatography, Planar Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometry, Volatile Organic Compounds, Combustion Gasses, Plastics, Insect Pheromones, Seed Cotton Contamination, Sticky Cotton, Cotton
Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) was selected as a means of detection because of its high
sensitivity and selectivity. Three cotton industry problems potentially addressed by this technology
are plastic contamination in seed cotton, cotton smoke in warehouses, and insect pheromones
associated with stickiness. Recent research has demonstrated the potential and begun identification
of appropriate strategies for ionization and selective pre-concentration.
Cotton smoke can be differentiated from smoke of paper, grass, cigarettes and gasoline using solid
phase micro extraction preconcentration, photoionization and a Planar Field Asymmetric-field Ion
Mobility Spectrometer (PFAIMS) detector. Small amounts of contaminating plastic can be detected
in seed cotton using membrane preconcentration, nickel ionization and conventional time of flight
IMS. Insect pheromones have been successfully detected with gas chromatograph preconcentration,
nickel ionization and a PFAIMS detector. While far from commercialization, these
technologies have been shown to be feasible and are projected to be economical.