Method for measuring the concentration of nitrogen in argon by means of ion mobility spectrometry
AssigneeSaes Getters S.P.A.
InventorsLuca Pusterla, Robert Stimac, Antonio Bonucci, Marco Succi
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Abstract
A method for carrying out nitrogen analysis by ionization mobility spectroscopy at concentrations of few parts per billion (ppb) in argon is described. The method involves the addition of hydrogen in concentration of at least 5 ppb and lower than 100 parts per million (ppm) to the argon to be analyzed; the hydrogen addition step may be preceded by a purification operation of the argon flow to reduce the total concentration of impurities other than nitrogen to under 1 ppb.
Claims18
A method for measuring nitrogen concentration in argon by means of ionization mobility spectroscopy comprising the steps of:
- providing an argon flow sample to be analyzed comprising a total concentration of impurities other than nitrogen not higher than about 1 ppb;
- adding a quantity of hydrogen to the argon flow sample to be analyzed to produce a mixture of gases comprising a hydrogen concentration between 0.005 and 100 parts per million by volume;
- and
- analyzing the so produced mixture of gases with an IMS analyzer to determine the concentration of nitrogen in argon.
A method according to any of the preceding claims wherein the analysis step is carried out by establishing in the separation zone of the IMS instrument a flow of pure argon contrary to the direction of motion of the ions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.