The Company Proengin is French developer and manufacturer of biological and chemical warfare agents detection systems based on flame spectrometry. Proengin is the only company using this technology to manufacture field usable chemical and biological detectors.

Flame Spectrophotometry consists in analysing the light spectrum of a flame in which burns the gas or the particles to be detected.
Atomic elements or chemical liaisons have a specific light spectrum. Phosphorus, Sulphur, Arsenic, H-N=O chemical liaison, Potassium, Sodium, Calcium and many other elements thus can be detected without mistake into any gas, aerosol, dust or particle.

Proengin Detectors use that principle to detect those elements that are present in Chemical Warfare Agents or in Toxic Industrial Materials:

- All nerve agents such as Sarin, soman, Tabun or Vx contain phosphorus:
- All Blister agents such as mustard gas and lewisite contain either Arsenic or sulphur.
- All Blood agents contain arsenic or emit a HNO molecule when burned into an hydrogen flame.
- This technology allows to detect an unlimited number of gases as it is not subject to the limitations of a library.

Proengin’s first activities in the seventies were mainly studies of special products for the French Ministry of Defense. Several products were developed related to production of energy, monitoring of gas within submarines and production of hydrogen. In the eighties, the French ministry of defense, through the Centre d’Etudes du Bouchet has decided to develop a new chemical warfare agents detector. The technology to use was the flame spectrophotometry.

The new extended rage field handheld chemical detector AP4C.

New developments such as the AP4C have extended the capacity of that technology to include chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial material in a simultaneous mode. There is no limitation in number of gas detected by the AP4C. All nerve agents, all blister agents and all blood agents can be detected by AP4C within the requirements of response time and sensitivity of NATO recommendations.

The AP4C has extended the range of chemicals that can be detected by Proengin chemical detectors. All dangerous compounds containing Sulfur, Phosphorous, Arsenic and/or HNO chemical bond can be detected in a simultaneous way. AP4C has the capacity to work in very severe environmental conditions (explosive areas) and the measurements are unaffected by high humidity levels or by the presence of other organic chemical compounds such as paint.

The AP4C technology allows the simultaneous detection of an unlimited number of gases and the identification of the chemical elements that constitute these chemicals. It is therefore possible to detect impure agents or chemicals manufactured by terrorists that would not fit into traditional libraries of other detectors.

Moreover AP4C will detect without upgrade new agents that will be developed in the future, as well as still not precisely known agents like Novichok agents (or Non Traditional agents).

The response time is among the shortest on the market, but what makes the AP4C unique is the recovery time after a positive detection.
The AP4C is therefore the chemical detector that has the highest level of availability of the field.

Grateful to its remarkable performances, AP4C has been derived on other detectors, dedicated to the following uses:
- use on reconnaissance vehicles and battle tanks
- use aboard naval ships
- use for critical buildings and areas protection

AP4C-V for use on reconnaissance vehicles and battle tanks

Based on the same detection technology and the same internal design, air entrance has been designed to face high wind: AP4C-V is able to take in representative sample of the outside air, even with a direct cumulated wind and speed of 100 km/h. Data are shown on easy to understand control box or directly on the control computer of the vehicle.
Sensitivity, short time to answer, low false alarm rate and short recovery time are the same as for AP4C, making AP4C-V the perfect detector for all kinds of reconnaissance missions and battle field exploration.

AP4C-F for use aboard naval ships

At sea, ANEP-57 recommendations stipulate the availability of both fixed and mobile means of chemical detection. As AP4C is the perfect mobile chemical detector for contamination control, the use of AP4C-F provides the naval ships with reliable and efficient chemical detection. This ruggedized detector shows the same detection performances as the AP4C, with 2 supplementary features. It produces its consumable gas by electrolysis, thus lightening daily maintenance, and more than an alarm, is able to trigger the ventilation of the vessels, thus protecting the citadel from the chemical danger. The AP4C-F is able to be operated on open deck, with the same performances.

AP4C-F for critical buildings and areas protection

National palaces, courts and parliaments are more and more equipped with fixed chemical detectors. AP4C-F, being able to be operated on naval citadels, is of course able to provide the same detection and protection on terra firma, for this kind of critical buildings.

MAB has the unique capacity of detecting and categorizing biological particles with a proven extremely low false alarm rate and the unique capacity to discriminate dangerous or suspicious biological particles such as Anthrax spores from natural background.

The very liable MAB has been designed to be mounted on track vehicles. It is insensitive to diesel exhausts.

As all Proengin products and thanks to the flame spectrophotometry technology, MAB is running in very severe outside conditions, shows the lowest false alarm rates (negative and positive) and requires reduced maintenance. It shows such a high level of availability.