| Title | Improved infra-red procedure for the evaluation of calibrating units. |
|---|---|
| Record ID | 56111 |
| Personal Name Creator |
Flores, Arthur L. |
| Source | 11p. in various pagings |
| Corporate Creator | John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.) |
| Corporate Contributor |
United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
| Publisher | John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.) |
| Publication Date | 20110104 |
| Language | English |
| Abstract | Introduction. The NHTSA Model Specifications for Calibrating Units for Breath Alcohol Testers (FR 72 34742-34748) requires that calibration units submitted for inclusion on the NHTSA Conforming Products List for such devices be evaluated using one of three alternate procedures, all of which were developed at the Volpe Center. The first uses gas chromatography and wet gas reference samples for evaluation. This procedure is no longer used because of the advent of dry gas CUs on the market. Gas chromatography is an inappropriate technique for evaluation of dry gases using wet gas reference samples. A second alternative uses gas chromatography with dry gas reference samples. The dry gas references were obtained from the National Institute for Science and Technology. A third procedure uses a non-dispersive infra-red spectrophotometry. This third procedure is the preferred one, since reference samples are prepared at the Volpe Center so that reliance on outside sources for reference samples is not necessary. This preferred procedure uses a National Patent Analytical Systems, Inc. Datamaster breath alcohol analyzer instrument to analyze samples. This device is a non-dispersive infra-red spectrophotometer designed for breath (ethyl) alcohol analysis and is listed on the NHTSA Conforming Products List for evidential breath testers. Analysis is based on the absorption of a band of infra-red radiation centered at 3.4 microns, a wavelength area that is strongly absorbed by alcohol and which at the same time is not interfered with by other possible substances found in human breath, other than acetone. |
| Rosap ID | dot:12227 |
| Rosap URL | https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/12227 |
| TRT Terms | Alcohol blood tests; Law enforcement; Calibration; Vapors; Alcohol breath tests; Alcohol chemical tests; Gas chromatography; Infrared analysis; Evaluation |
| Classification | AGR - SAFETY AND SECURITY - SAFETY AND SECURITY; NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - SAFETY AND SECURITY; NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Highway Safety |
| Geographical Coverage |
United States |
| TRIS Online Accession No |
1584398 |
| Availability | Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference Center |
| Resource type | Research Paper |
| URL | https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/56000/56100/56111/Improved_Infra-Red_Procedure_for_the_Evaluation_of_Calibrating_Units.pdf |
| Format | |
| Database | NTL Digital Repository |