The use of carbon monoxide and water gas as the flame-forming agent in the thermionic detector

Summary The use of carbon monoxide were suggested as the flame-forming agent in the thermionic detector (TID). The main characteristics of this detector were studied. It was shown that the optimum flow rate of carbon monoxide is 40 ml/min at an air flow rate of 400–550 ml/min. The response increases twice with the positive potential on the collector. Molar responses of TID were compared with those obtained when using carbon monoxide and hydrogen. For instance, for phosphorus containing compounds they are approximately the same (10²), while for nitrogen containing compounds in the case of carbon monoxide, there is a 2–5 fold increase in the response. The linear dynamic range for methaphose and azobenzene is 10³.