Chemical analysis and mineral prospecting
OwnerDenis J. C. Macourtinventor
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Abstract
A sample stream of liquid representative of the environment such as sea water or lake water or drilling mud is subjected to the passage therethrough of an inert carrier gas to entrain chemical components and particulate matter which is then removed from the sample stream for analysis of the chemical components and particulate matter.
Claims8
A method for prospecting for uranium or hydrocarbons by continuously detecting the presence of at least one normally gaseous radon or halogen component in an off-shore liquid as an indicator of the presence of uranium or hydrocarbons comprising the steps of subjecting said liquid to passage therethrough of dispersed bubbles of a chemically inert carrier gas of a type useful in plasma emission spectroscopy whereby said gaseous component contained in said liquid and any particulate matter components containing said gaseous component adsorbed as a coating thereon are entrained by said inert gas;
- removing said inert gas and said entrained components from said liquid;
- treating said particulate material to release said gaseous component coated thereon, and separating said particulate material from said gaseous component and said carrier gas;
- passing said carrier gas and said gaseous component into a plasma and spectroscopically examining the light emitted therefrom for the presence of spectral lines characteristic of at least one of said normally gaseous chemical components.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.