Atmospheric-Pressure Argon Afterglows as a Detector for Gas Chromatography

摘要

Ames has been involved in developing an atmospheric pressure, active nitrogen (APAN) afterglow as an excitation source for analytical emission spectroscopy and as an element-specific, multielemental gas chromatography detector. The same type of discharges and afterglows can be produced from both helium and argon. The argon afterglow has been evaluated as an element-selective detector for gas chromatography by monitoring atomic spectral lines arising from S, P, C, N, Cl, Br, and I containing species. Limits of detection have ranged from 0.08 ng for P to 50 ng for Br. (ERA citation 08:051642)