Spinoff story

Radiation Sensor

A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.

About this technology

Overview

Claypack is a cost-effective portable system developed by Barringer Research Ltd. for rapid on-site analysis of clay minerals. It is an adaptation of a hand-held rationing radiometer. By measuring the intensity of reflected radiation, the device discriminates among different minerals present in a sample. It simultaneously analyzes radiation intensities in two separate bands of the spectrum, and calculates the ratio of one to the other. The reflectance ratio" is computer processed and displayed in digital form."