High-temperature Oxygen Analysis in Organic, Inorganic and Fluorinated Compounds

A new method of oxygen analysis is introduced to analyse oxygen in inorganic and fluorinated compounds.
Although pyrolysis based oxygen analysis for organic samples at 1060°- 1200°C has been used for years, there is a large error or no possibility of analysis for fluorinated compounds or those containing phosphor.
For compounds containing phosphor or fluorinated compounds, the reaction temperature is insufficient. Fluorinated compounds release oxygen from the reaction tube and lead to high oxygen values. The new high-temperature oven (1500°C) coupled with an Euro EA enables an accurate oxygen analysis in all organic, fluorinated and many inorganic compounds by means of the special reactor construction using  a glass carbon tube.

Coupling to an isotope mass spectrometer enables the analysis of the oxygen isotope ratio of standard substances, barium carbonate, calcium carbonate and water up to 1.5 mg initial weight.
The analysis of the hydrogen isotope ratio is possible using the appropriate mass spectrometer.

Functional Principle

The sample, weighed out in silver cartridge is inserted into the pyrolysis reactor by the automated sample dispenser, Here the oxygen in the sample reacts with the carbon reactor filling at 1400° - 1500° C to form CO.
As the reactor contains no quartz parts, using a glass carbon reactor tube, no oxygen can be released from the tube material. A filter separates the reaction gases (H2; N2; CO ) in a separation column and the integration software calculates the % oxygen.
Isotope analysis follows by passing the separated reaction gasses via a suitable interface to the isotope mass spectrometer.

The system can be constructed as a dual channel analyser enabling CHNS or oxygen analysis without reconstruction