Method and system for sampling and determining the presence of salts of ammonia and amines in containers

A method of detecting the presence of ammonium salts and amine salts comprising the steps of:

• providing an item to be analyzed for the presence of said ammonium salts or amine salts;
• adding sodium carbonate to the item to enhance liberation of vapors of ammonia or an amine or both, therefrom;
• and
• analyzing a sample including the vapors to determine the presence or absence of said ammonium or amine salts.

A method of detecting the presence of ammonium salts and amine salts comprising the steps of:

• providing an item to be analyzed for the presence of said ammonium salts or amine salts;
• adding a chemical additive selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate, hydrated sodium carbonate, sodium tri-phosphate, potassium tri-phosphate and mixtures thereof to the item to enhance liberation of vapors of ammonia or an amine or both, therefrom;
• mixing a sample from the item including said vapors with a chemical reactant to generate a chemical reaction from the item which causes chemiluminescence;
• and
• analyzing radiation from said chemiluminescence to determine the presence or absence of said ammonium or amine salts.

A method of detecting the presence of ammonium salts and amine salts comprising the steps of:

• providing an item to be analyzed for the presence of said ammonium salts or amine salts;
• adding a chemical additive from the group consisting of sodium carbonate, hydrated sodium carbonate, sodium tri-phosphate, potassium tri-phosphate and mixtures thereof to the item to enhance liberation of vapors of ammonia or an amine or both, therefrom;
• and
• analyzing a sample including the vapors to determine the presence or absence of said ammonium or amine salts.

A method of sampling and determining presence of ammonium salts and amine salts in an item comprising the steps of:

• adding sodium carbonate to the item to enhance liberation of vapors of ammonia or an amine, or both from any ammonium salts and amine salts therein;
• displacing a portion of contents of the item including said vapors to form a sample cloud at regions outside of the item adjacent thereto;
• mixing a portion of the sample cloud with a chemical reactant to generate a chemical reaction with said vapors of ammonia or amine which causes chemiluminescence;
• and
• analyzing radiation from said chemiluminescence to determine the presence or absence of ammonium salts or amine salts.