Page 1 of 1
Trace oxygen detection problem
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 4:39 am
by mole37
I bought a new molecular sieve plot column (HP) for analysis of sub-ppm amount of oxygen and argon, I am sure the column could seperate them, but, at trace level, even tens ppm of oxygen could not be detected.
My question is, can I use air or oxygen as carrier gas to regenerate this column?
Re: Trace oxygen detection problem
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 10:12 am
by CE Instruments
No
A molsieve column is just holes of a certain size eg 5A. If you ran air through it the holes would be full of CO2 that sticks to a Molsieve. Regeneration is done by heating it up and leave it purging with carrier gas. What are you running ? Helium , Nitrogen ?
The separation of Argon, Nitrogen and Oxygen is tough, it is most likely that currently they co-elute.
Re: Trace oxygen detection problem
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 12:02 pm
by mole37
I know that if oxygen peak decrease happened on MS packed column can be resolved by regeneration with oxygen or clean compressed air as carrier gas at high temperature, but what about MS PLOT columns, do they contain some kinds of organic binder or something which can be damaged by oxygen?