Helium level detectors

This level of leak detection is not inexpensive A new mass spectrometer helium leak detector with the accompanying equipment can easily cost between 20,000 and 30,000. Purchasing used equipment can significantly reduce the initial costs, but one should not enter the level of helium leak detection because it seems like a good idea. On the other hand, if you need a helium leak detector, you cannot afford not to have one. 

The response time for a helium leak detector is the time required for a known leak rate to be indicated on the leak detector from zero to 63% of its maximum equilibrium level. 87 Of course the helium leak detector must be calibrated with a standard leak so that the maximum reading can be properly set on the leak detector. The response time is dependent on the quality of vacuum, the size of the leak, physical barriers (such as constrictions, bends, or traps) between the leak and the leak detector, and the proximity of the leak to the leak detector. Because of so many factors, there can be no set specific response time. 

The base current ranges from 1 x 10 to 5 X 10 A, the noise level is about 1.2 x 10 A, and the ionization efficiency is about 0.07%. It is claimed to be about 10 times more sensitive than the flame ionization detector and to have a linear dynamic range of 10. The pulsed helium discharge detector appears to be an attractive alternative to the flame ionization detector and would eliminate the need for three different gas supplies. It does, however, require equipment to provide specially purified helium, which diminishes the advantage of using a single gas. 

Wentworth, W.E. Cai, H. Stearns, S.D. Pulsed discharge helium ionization detector universal detector for inorganic and organic compounds at the low picogram level. J. Chromatogr. 1994, 688, 135. 

The general operation of the pilot scale reactor has be previously described by Pareek et. al. [3]. However, modifications were required to allow the injection of the gas and liquid tracers, and their subsequent detection at the outlets. The liquid tracer, 5mL Methyl blue solution (lOgL" ), was injected via a syringe inserted into the liquid feed line. Outlet samples were measured with a Shimadzu 1601 UV-Vis Spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 635nm. A pulse (20mL) of helium gas tracer was introduced using an automated control system, with the outlet concentration monitored in real-time with a thermal conductivity detector. Runs were carried out based on a two-level... 

Plasma and urine levels of the drug are determined by chromatographing the trimethyl-silyl derivative of dobutamine on a 6-foot column packed with 3.0% UC-W98 silicon gum rubber (methyl-vinyl) on Diatoport S operated at 260°C. The hydrogen flame detector is maintained at 280°C. Helium flow rate is 60 ml/min. The retention time of dobutamine derivative (TMS) under these conditions is 3.8 minutes. This method measures plasma levels as low as 1 ig/ml (4). 

Common GC mobile phases (see Table 13.2) are hydrogen, argon, helium, nitrogen, and air. Helium and nitrogen are the most commonly used. Because gas chromatographic detectors are extremely sensitive and it is desirable to keep the noise level as low as possible, it is always advisable to use very high-purity gas as the mobile phase. 

Total ethanol may be determined by gas chromatography using a Stabilwax (polyethylene glycol) column with helium carrier gas under isothermal (35°C) conditions [8], Analyte detection is performed using with a flame ionization detector [8]. The level of ethanol is typically 6 % w/w. 

The part-per-billion sensitivity for the fixed gases makes the helium detector the most suitable for trace analysis of these gases. A minimum detectable level of 4x10 1<4g/sec and a linear... 

The methyl esters can be also determined by GC-FID. Using a 30 m x 0.32 mm ID x 0.25 pm (film thickness) capillary column, such as DB-1701 or equivalent, the compounds can be adequately separated and detected by FID. The recommended carrier gas (helium) flow rate is 35 cm/s, while that of the makeup gas (nitrogen) is 30 cm/min. All of the listed herbicides may be analyzed within 25 min. The oven temperature is programmed between 50 and 260°C, while the detector and injector temperatures should be 300 and 250°C, respectively. The herbicides may alternatively converted into their trimethylsilyl esters and analyzed by GC-FID under the same conditions. FID, however, gives a lower response as compared with ECD. The detection level ranges from 50 to 100 ng. For quantitation, either the external standard or the internal standard method may be applied. Any chlorinated compound stable under the above analytical conditions, which produces a sharp peak in the same RT range without coeluting with any analyte, may be used as an internal standard for GC-ECD analysis. U.S. EPA Method 8151 refers the use of 4,4,-dibromooctafluorobiphenyl and 1,4-dichlorobenzene as internal standards. The quantitation results are expressed as acid equivalent of esters. If pure chlorophenoxy acid neat compounds are esterified and used for calibration, the results would determine the actual concentrations of herbicides in the sample. Alternatively, if required, the herbicide acids can be stoichiometrically calculated as follows from the concentration of their methyl esters determined in the analysis ... 

Raman spectra were measured on fresh, chemically etched surfaces in quasi-backscattering configuration using a triple DILOR XY spectrometer, a liquid nitrogen cooled CCD detector, and a 514.5-nm Ar-ion laser. The laser beam of power level 20 mW was focused on an area of 0.1 mm2 on the mirror-like plane (it was the (ab) plane of the single crystals). The measurements were performed in a cryostat with a helium gas atmosphere in the temperature range 5-295 K below temperature of metal-insulator phase transition. 

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