Method and apparatus for the purification and analytical evaluation of highly purified liquids

A method of extracting trace amounts of contaminants from high resistivity liquid having a bulk resistivity of greater than 1.0 megohm-centimeter, said method comprising the steps of:

• flowing in laminar fashion the liquid to be purified through an elongate cylindrical chamber, a wall of the chamber forming an outer electrode, the chamber having a central axial electrode therein;
• providing an electromagnetic field in the chamber transverse to the direction of flow to cause the contaminants to deposit and agglomerate on the electrodes in a removal zone of the chamber;
• drawing substantially all the liquid from the chamber to a receiving conduit;
• and
• periodically reversing the electromagnetic field to remove contaminants and agglomerated contaminants from the removal zone of the electrodes.