US 5,098,658 AGranted

Device for analyzing samples for mercury and/or hydride-forming elements

AssigneeBodenseewerk Perkin-Elmer & Co., GmbH

InventorBernhard Huber

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Abstract

In a device for analyzing samples for mercury and/or hydride-forming elements by means of atomic absorption spectroscopy, a first arrangement for determining the mercury according to the amalgam method comprising passage throttling means in the form of a washing bottle and a tube connected downstream to a reaction vessel, the other end of which tube is connected to the measuring cell. The tube contains a gold net adapted to be heated and recooled according to the amalgam method. The second arrangement by which hydrides of the sample are directly connected to the measuring cell employs a conduit which leads directly to the measuring cell, bypassing the gold net by branching off from between the reaction vessel and washing bottle. The tube is connectable to a carrier gas source between the washing bottle and position of the gold net in the tube through a first shut-off valve. A second shut-off valve is arranged in the conduit directly leading to the measuring cell. The first and the second shut-off valves are interconnected so that opening the first shut-off valve causes the second shut-off valve to close.

Claims3

Dependent claims

An apparatus for analyzing samples for mercury and/or hydride-forming elements directly or by the amalgam method by means of atomic absorption spectroscopy, comprising

a reaction vessel for receiving a sample together with a reagent,
a measuring cell,
a tube connecting said reaction vessel to said measuring cell,
an amalgam-forming body disposed in said tube adapted to be heated and recooled,
a conduit connecting said reaction vessel to said measuring cell bypassing said amalgam-forming body,
a source of carrier gas,
a first shut-off valve connecting said source of carrier gas to said tube upstream of said amalgam-forming body,
a second shut-off valve disposed in said conduit pneumatically controlled and arranged to be moved from its normally open to closed position by carrier gas pressure downstream to said first shut-off valve,
said first and second shut-off valves being interlocked such that, when said first shut-off valve is opened, said second shut-off valve is closed,
a washing bottle and a drying tube connecting said reaction vessel to said tube containing the amalgam-forming body,
said washing bottle forming a passage throttling means to said reaction vessel,
a first branch conduit connecting said first shut-off valve to said tube,
a second branch conduit parallel to said first branch conduit connecting said first shut-off valve to said tube,
a third shut-off valve disposed in said second branch conduit,
first and second flow resistance disposed in each of said first and second branch conduits, respectively.
said first flow resistance having a substantially higher resistance to flow than said second flow resistance.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.