Infrared emission detection of a gas
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting and making quantitative measurements of at least one selected component in a sample, in which at least one selected component of the sample, or at least one selected substance produced from the at least one selected component in the sample and characteristic of the at least one selected component, is introduced into an exciting means, and when the at least one selected component is present in the sample, gas-phase infrared-active molecules emit infrared radiation at at least one characteristic wavelength in proportion to the quantity of the at least one selected component in the sample, comprising:
- means for exciting the gas-phase, infrared-active molecules to emit radiation over a given path, wherein when the at least one selected component is present in the sample, the gas-phase infrared-active molecules emit radiation at the at least one characteristic wavelength with an intensity proportional to the quantity of the at least one selected component in the sample and wherein the means for exciting the gas-phase, infrared-active molecules is by furnace excitation, excitation by electron impact in a gas discharge or excitation by collisions with a vibrationally excited diatomic molecule;
infrared discriminating and detector means located on said given path for detecting infrared radiation at the at least one characteristic wavelength and for generating an output signal representative thereof, and thereby determining the quantity of the at least one selected component in the sample.
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Abstract
Apparatus and method for qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing infrared emission from excited molecules in the determination of, for example, total inorganic carbon, chloride and available chlorine in aqueous samples. Methods of exciting the gas-phase, infrared-active molecules to emit radiation include flame excitation, furnace excitation, excitation by electron impact in a gas discharge or excitation by collisions with a vibrationally excited diatomic molecule. The detector is optimized by use of dual beam system with background subtraction capabilities thereby eliminating background noise and fluctuations therein.
181 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting and making quantitative measurements of at least one selected component in a sample, in which at least one selected component of the sample, or at least one selected substance produced from the at least one selected component in the sample and characteristic of the at least one selected component, is introduced into an exciting means, and when the at least one selected component is present in the sample, gas-phase infrared-active molecules emit infrared radiation at at least one characteristic wavelength in proportion to the quantity of the at least one selected component in the sample, comprising:
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means for exciting the gas-phase, infrared-active molecules to emit radiation over a given path, wherein when the at least one selected component is present in the sample, the gas-phase infrared-active molecules emit radiation at the at least one characteristic wavelength with an intensity proportional to the quantity of the at least one selected component in the sample and wherein the means for exciting the gas-phase, infrared-active molecules is by furnace excitation, excitation by electron impact in a gas discharge or excitation by collisions with a vibrationally excited diatomic molecule; infrared discriminating and detector means located on said given path for detecting infrared radiation at the at least one characteristic wavelength and for generating an output signal representative thereof, and thereby determining the quantity of the at least one selected component in the sample. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for detecting and making quantitative measurements of at least one selected component in a sample, in which at least one selected component of the sample, or at least one selected substance produced from the at least one selected component in the sample and characteristic of the at least one selected component, is introduced into an exciting means, and when the at least one selected component is present in the sample, gas-phase infrared-active molecules emit infrared radiation at at least one characteristic wavelength in proportion to the quantity of the at least one selected component in the sample, comprising the steps of:
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exciting the gas-phase, infrared-active molecules to emit radiation, wherein when the at least one selected component is present in the sample, the gas-phase infrared-active molecule emit radiation at the at least one characteristic wavelength with an intensity proportional to the quantity of the at least one selected component in the sample; and selectively detecting infrared radiation emitted at the at least one characteristic wavelength and generating an output signal representative thereof, and thereby determining the quantity of the at least one selected component in the sample and wherein said exciting step is by thermal excitation using an electric furnace, excitation by electron impact in a gas discharge or excitation by collisions with a vibrationally excited diatomic molecule. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification