Pulsed discharge emission detector — Application to analytical spectroscopy of permanent gases

Summary This publication contains our initial development of a pulsed discharge emission detector (PDED) (patent pending). It uses a pulsed high voltage discharge in helium, which provides a stable source for atomic and polyatomic emission spectroscopy. We have evaluated this detector for both quantitative and qualitative analysis of a range of chemical compounds. Emission spectra observed from the pulsed high voltage discharge are valuable for spectral analysis. The results obtained for selected permanent gases in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared regions of the optical spectrum indicate that these spectra can be used for compound identification after a chromatographic separation. The data are unique in our opinion and serve as a basis for the future development and investigation of the analytical significance of this detection method.Dedicated to Professor Leslie S. Ettre on the occasion of his 70th birthday.     

Pulsed discharge detector: theory and applications

The pulsed discharge detector (PDD) is a significant advancement in gas chromatography (GC) detector design which can be operated in three different modes: pulsed discharge helium ionization (He-PDPID), pulsed discharge electron capture (PDECD) and helium ionization emission (PDED). The He-PDPID can detect permanent gases, volatile inorganics and other compounds which give little or no response with the flame ionization detector (FID) and has significantly better limits of detection (minimum detectable quantities (MDQs) in low picogram range) than can be achieved with a thermal conductivity detector (typically not lower than 1 ng). The PDECD has similar or better sensitivity (MDQs of 10(-15) to 10(-12) g) than radioactive source ECD but does not require licensing, wipe tests and other administrative or safety requirements which have increased over security concerns. The PDED shows promise as an extremely selective and sensitive elemental detector but a commercial unit is not presently available. In this report, the theory of operation, applications of the PDD and the practical aspects of using this novel detector are presented.     

High resolution gas chromatographic determination of permanent gases with a helium ionization detector

The capability of the helium ionization detector (HID) to operate in connection with capillary columns for trace gas analyses has been evaluated. Two different capillary columns were considered: a PLOT fused silica column with molecular sleve and a thick film WCOT glass column with PS-255. The determination of trace impurities in gases can be achieved with evident advantages over classical adsorption columns, even using a split injection system. Direct on-column injections also have been investigated with promising results.     

Investigating the performance characteristics of the barrier discharge ionization detector and comparison to the flame ionization detector for the gas chromatographic analysis of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds

Abstract

The response behavior and performance characteristics of the recently introduced barrier discharge ionization detector (BID) for gas chromatography (GC-BID) were investigated by analyzing different classes of organic compounds such as alcohols, alkanes, cycloaliphatic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and others. The results obtained by GC-BID were compared with those of gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID), aiming to demonstrate the particular merits of the new BID detector over the well-established FID. The response of the BID not only was found to be strongly dependent on the detector settings, but also shows a high dependence on the analyte class and the individual analyte. The sensitivity of the BID detector compared to the FID was higher by a factor of ca. 4 on average when considering all compounds analyzed. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was better than 5% for the majority of the cases. The BID detector showed better precision (lower RSD) in comparison with the FID for the investigated compounds. Linear calibrations were obtained for the analytes over more than four orders of magnitude with coefficients of determination typically higher than 0.999 and the limits of detection varied from 0.04 to 1.48?ng/s for the GC-BID.     

脉冲放电氦光离子化检测器分析有机化合物的性能研究

研究本实验室组装的脉冲放电氦光离子化检测系统上PDPID的性能、各种操作参数对信号的影响、操作最佳化及信号线性。用该系统分析了汽油、酮醇混合物和痕量挥发性有机化合物等样品,它们的色谱图可以同FID相比。     

Relative Responses of Noble Gases Using a Pulsed Discharge Helium Photoionization Detector:Theoretical Calculation and Experimental Determination

The relative response factors（RRFs） for noble gas（Ng） were determined on a pulsed discharge helium photoionization detector. Using ab initio method, the atomic orbitals of noble gas were calculated and used to determine the number of ionizable electrons on the basis of the continuous emission of He2. The molar responses of noble gases is well correlated with the number of ionizable electrons.     

Selectivity enhancement of a metal-sensitive flame ionization detector for capillary gas chromatography

A novel modification of a hydrogen-atmosphere flamo ionization detector (HAFID) is presented which attenuates response to hydrocarbon compounds, significantly enhancing selectivity towards organometallic compounds by more than an order of magnitude. Chromatograms of an organometallic compound test mixture and regular leaded gasoline are presented to depict the specificity of the response.     

Operating the pulsed discharged detector in both the electron-capture and photoionization modes within the same GC analysis

Summary Since the electron-capture detector (ECD) is highly selective, it is imperative to use a more universal ionization detector in conjunction with the ECD in order to detect non-capturing or weakly capturing compounds. Also in an EC study of weakly or moderately strong electron-capturing compounds, it is necessary to identify the EC peak of the compound by identifying the major component with an ionization detector. In this paper we have shown that the pulsed discharge detector can be interchanged between the EC and the helium ionization modes within 4–6 s. The application of this procedure has been illustrated with a mixture of alkane/alkene chlorocompounds. The interchange between EC and argon photoionization modes has also been investigated. The change from EC to argon photoionization also occurs in 4–6 s but the reverse process requires 9 s.     

Supported capillary membrane sampling-gas chromatography on a valve with a pulsed discharge photoionization detector

The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a simple miniaturized approach to gas chromatography termed supported capillary membrane sampling-gas chromatography on a valve (SCMS-GCOV). The prototype instrument uses a pulsed discharge photoionization detector (PDPID) as the GC detector. Two different analyzers were constructed. The first used a bench scale SCMS-GC. The second was a miniaturized SCMS-GCOV analyzer. The SCMS-GCOV analyzer was used to monitor the concentrations of trihalomethanes (THM4) in drinking water. Details are given for the construction of the SCMS-GC-PDPID and the SCMS-GCOV-PDPID analyzers. The results of method detection limit, accuracy and precision studies are reported for analysis of THM4 and are compared to other methods of THM4 analysis. Side-by-side comparison studies are conducted between the SCMS-GCOV and USEPA 502.2 with promising results.     

Universal and discriminative detection using a miniaturized pulsed discharge detector in comprehensive two-dimensional GC

A miniaturized pulsed discharge detector (Mini-PDD) has been successfully demonstrated for comprehensive 2-D GC (GC x GC) analysis of pyrolysis gasoline and the pyrolysis GC x GC analysis of a polyethylene copolymer. The detector cell volume of the Mini-PDD is reduced to 25% of the Valco plug-in PDD D-3. An n-C11 peak width at base is 96 ms for the Mini-PDD, about 23% larger than a peak width of 78 ms detected by a flame ionization detector (FID). The Mini-PDD has sufficient response time for most GC x GC applications. When Mini-PDD is operated in helium photoionization mode (Mini He-PDD), it is a universal detector for both inorganic and organic compounds. This is especially useful when detection of water is needed in GC x GC applications. When krypton is doped in the helium discharge gas (Mini Kr-PDD), it can suppress signals of compounds having higher ionization potentials and enhance relative signal intensities of aromatic compounds. The determination of aliphatic to aromatic hydrocarbon ratios is essential to the operation of petroleum crackers. Comparison of the signal from two modes of the Mini-PDD is a simple and fast way to verify the location of aromatics in comprehensive 2-D gas chromatograms.     

Carbon response characteristics of a micro-flame ionization detector

The carbon response characteristics of a recently noted micro-flame ionization detector (μFID) mode are examined in detail. The μFID supports an extremely small (30 nL) “upside-down” flame that is generated from a low counter-current flow of oxygen immersed in hydrogen. Ionization measurements made in the μFID are directly compared to those obtained from a conventional FID. In terms of reproducibility of response and relative sensitivity towards different types of hydrocarbons, the μFID and a conventional FID produce no major differences with respect to either of these characteristics for a variety of compounds examined. Of note, for replicate measurements made in each detector, the average %R.S.D. of response typically differs by less than 2% between the two devices, while the average normalized sensitivity differs by less than 4%. In contrast to this, regarding absolute sensitivity, the analyte signal from the conventional air-rich FID is found to be three times larger than that of the hydrogen-rich μFID mode explored here. This discrepancy is ascribed directly to the difference in flame stoichiometry between the two detectors.     

Glow discharge electron impact ionization source for miniature mass spectrometers

A glow discharge electron impact ionization (GDEI) source was developed for operation using air as the support gas. An alternative to the use of thermoemission from a resistively heated filament electron source for miniature mass spectrometers, the GDEI source is shown to have advantages of long lifetime under high-pressure operation and low power consumption. The GDEI source was characterized using our laboratory's handheld mass spectrometer, the Mini 10. The effects of the discharge voltage and pressure were investigated. Design considerations are illustrated with calculations. Performance is demonstrated in a set of experimental tests. The results show that the low power requirements, mechanical ruggedness, and quality of the data produced using the small glow discharge ion source make it well-suited for use with a portable handheld mass spectrometer.     

Micro-flame ionization detector with a novel structure for portable gas chromatograph

A micro-flame ionization detector (μ-FID) for portable gas chromatograph (GC) based on conventional mechanical fabrication techniques was developed and evaluated. Structure was redesigned and dimensions were optimized for best performance. Air is introduced from upper part of the detector, flowing downwards into the burning chamber along a narrow round gap between the collection electrode and the inner wall of the detector body, forming a uniform flow field around the burning jet. The lowest detection limit of the μ-FID was 5 × 10⁻¹³ g/s for n-decane, with a linear response range of five orders of magnitude. The consumption of gases is only 10 ml/min for hydrogen, and 120 ml/min for air, that is about 1/3 of the gases required for conventional FIDs. A comparative study between the μ-FID and commercial FID was also performed that proved the advantages of the μ-FID. The μ-FID is simple in structure, low heating power, and low consumption of gases that not only decrease the cost of running, but also increase the portability of GC for filed applications.     

气相色谱-表面电离检测器分析汽油中含氮化合物的分布

采用液液萃取的方法分别从90#、93#、97#汽油中提取了含氮化合物,并将气相色谱(GC)和作者所在研究组研制的表面电离检测器(SID)联用对含氮化合物进行了分析。结合GC-氢火焰离子化检测器(FID)、GC-氮磷检测器(NPD)和GC-质谱(MS)的分析结果,可鉴定出GC-SID谱图中的峰基本为含氮化合物,且大部分为NPD和FID未检出的峰,说明SID的选择性和灵敏度更好。分析结果表明,这3种汽油含氮化合物种类相似,含量有所差异;所提取的含氮化合物主要是苯胺类化合物;SID能从汽油样品中检出多种痕量的高沸点含氮组分,对于检测含氮组分而言,SID具有优于商品NPD的灵敏度和选择性。SID为GC分析提供了一种性能优异的选择性检测器。     

A system consisted of flame ionization detector and sulfur chemiluminescence detector for interference free determination of total sulfur in natural gas

A new detection system consisted of a flame ionization detector (FID) and a sulfur chemiluminescence detector (SCD) was developed for sensitive and interference free determination of total sulfur in natural gas by non-separation gas chromatography. In this system, sulfur containing compounds and hydrocarbons were firstly burned in the FID using oxygen rich flame and converted to SO₂, CO₂ and H₂O, respectively. The products from FID were transported into the SCD with hydrogen rich atmosphere wherein only SO₂ could be reduced to SO and reacted with O₃ to produce characteristic chemiluminescence. Therefore, the chemiluminescence of CO found in conventional SCD were eliminated because CO₂ could not be reduced to CO under these conditions. The experimental parameters were systematically investigated. Limit of detection obtained by the proposed system is better than 0.5 μmol/mol for total sulfur and superior to those previously reported. The proposed method not only retains the advantages of the conventional SCD but also provides several unique advantages including no hydrocarbon interference, better stability, and easier calculation. The utility of this technique was demonstrated by the determination of total sulfur in real samples and two certified reference materials (GBW 06332 and GBW (E) 061320).     

Quality control and classification of camomilla oils with the oxygen-sensitive flame-ionization detector

Summary The application of the Oxygenate Analyzer (O-FID) developed for the selective determination of oxygenated compounds has been studied for the quality control and classification of camomilla oils. In comparison to FID detection the O-FID results in a simpler chromatogram and a much higher sensitivity for the characteristic oxygenated compounds. On the basis of the O-FID chromatograms, by measuring the relative peak areas of the characteristic compounds, the camomilla oils can be classified and the oils of unacceptable quality unambigously distinguished.     

Study of the surface ionization detector for gas chromatography

The structure of the surface ionization detector (SID) and the operation parameters of GC-SID were investigated to reduce peak tailing and to enhance sensitivity. The performances of the GC-SID, including its repeatability, linearity, sensitivity, selectivity, and tolerance towards water vapor, were evaluated systematically. Compared with nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD), the SID was able to detect fg level triethylamine, and selectively respond to alkylamines, some anilines, and some nitrogen heterocyclic compounds. Among alkylamines, the SID sensitivity to diisobutylamine was rather small. Even so, it was also still 10 times higher than that on NPD. The SID selectivity, defined as the sensitivity ratio between triethylamine and various tested non-nitrogen compounds, was higher than 10(6). It was found that the SID is highly tolerant towards water vapor, allowing direct injection of water sample. Finally, the GC-SID was applied to directly measure trace amines in headspace gases of rotted meat and trace simazine in tap water. The SID sensitivity to simazine was proven to be 5 times higher than that on flame ionization detector (FID). This study suggests that the SID is a promising GC detector.