Sensitive detection of urea and related compounds in water
AssigneeGE Analytical Instruments
InventorRichard Godec
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus (FIG. 4a) are disclosed for selective and very sensitive detection of certain hydrolyzable compounds, especially urea, in water by hydrolyzing said hydrolyzable compounds in a sample of the water to one or more carbon dioxide group compounds and determining the difference in the carbon dioxide content of the water and the hydrolyzed sample using conductivity measurements or other carbon dioxide detector outputs.
Claims38
Apparatus for estimating as carbon dioxide the total of carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and carbonate released by hydrolysis of hydrolyzable entities dissolved and/or dispersed in water containing such entities, such apparatus comprising:
- (e) a measuring system for obtaining from a first sample of said water a measure of total concentration of carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and carbonate in said sample before hydrolysis;
- (f) a hydrolysis system effective substantially to hydrolyze said hydrolyzable entities dissolved and/or dispersed in a second sample of said water whereby a hydrolyzed sample is obtained comprising carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and/or carbonate and other hydrolysis products;
- (g) a measuring system for obtaining from said hydrolyzed sample a measure of total concentration of carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and carbonate in said hydrolyzed sample;
- and,
- (h) an estimating system for estimating from said measure of total concentration of carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and carbonate in said first sample and from said total concentration of carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and carbonate in said hydrolyzed sample, a measure as carbon dioxide of total carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and carbonate released by hydrolysis of said hydrolyzable entities dissolved and/or dispersed in said water.
A method for estimating as carbon dioxide the total of carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and carbonate released by hydrolysis of hydrolyzable entities dissolved and/or dispersed in water containing such entities, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) obtaining from a first sample of said water a measure of total concentration of carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and carbonate in said sample before hydrolysis;
- (b) hydrolyzing said hydrolyzable entities dissolved and/or dispersed in a second sample of said water whereby a hydrolyzed sample is obtained comprising carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and/or carbonate and other hydrolysis products;
- (c) obtaining from said hydrolyzed sample a measure of total concentration of carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and carbonate in said hydrolyzed sample;
- and,
- (d) estimating from said measure of total concentration of carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and carbonate in said first sample and from said total concentration of carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and carbonate in said hydrolyzed sample, a measure as carbon dioxide of total carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and carbonate released by hydrolysis of said hydrolyzable entities dissolved and/or dispersed in said water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.