Apparatus for catalyst analysis

In an apparatus for carrying out catalyzed chemical reactions and studying catalysts, said apparatus having a housing defining a vacuum chamber and means for producing a vacuum therein, a reactor located within the vacuum chamber, said reactor allowing for passage of a reactant gas or gas mixture into the reactor and a product gas out of the reactor, a mass spectrometer inside the vacuum chamber and a gas chromatograph outside the vacuum chamber, the improvement comprising a device disposed within said housing for operating the reactor at higher pressures relative to the normal vacuum operation, said device including:

• a high-pressure outlet tube for engagement with the reactor to receive the product gas;
• a sealing flange disposed adjacent the inlet of the high-pressure outlet tube;
• an O-ring interposed between the reactor and the high-pressure outlet tube and mounted on the sealing flange for providing a pressure-tight seal;
• a bypass for placing the high-pressure outlet tube in fluid communication with the gas chromatograph;
• an orifice for placing the high-pressure outlet tube in fluid communication with the mass spectrometer;
• at least one valve for selectively opening or closing the bypass and the orifice;
• a backpressure regulator in fluid communication with the bypass to maintain elevated pressures relative to normal vacuum pressures within the device and the reactor when the high-pressure outlet tube is engaged on the reactor;
• and
• means for displacing the device for engagement and disengagement of the high-pressure outlet tube and the reactor.