Suppressor capacity

Suppressor capacity = Eluent concentration X Eluent flow rate (67)... 

Sodium hydroxide at a maximum concentration of c = 0.1 mol/L (100 pequiv/mL) and with a flow rate of 2 mL/min can be used as eluent with a micromembrane suppressor, resulting in a suppressor capacity of about 200 pequiv/min. 

Since the exchange capacity is determined by the degree of sulfonation of screen and membrane, the total area finally determines the capacity of the suppressor. As illustrated by the diagram in Fig. 3-42, a linear relationship exists between the suppressor capacity and its length, provided that the width of the eluent chamber is kept constant. 

Fig. 3-42. Dependence of the micromembrane suppressor capacity on the length of the eluent chamber at a constant width of 1 cm.

Suppressor capacity = Eluant concentration Flowrate [pequiv/min] [pequiv/mL] [mL/min]... 

The low-concentration eluants used to separate the sample ions on the separator column allow a substantial number of samples (typically about 50) to be analysed before the suppressor column is completely exhausted. Clearly an important practical consideration is the need to minimise the frequency of regeneration of the suppressor column and, for this reason, the specific capacity of the column is made as large as possible by using resins of moderate to high cross-linking. Some instruments contain two suppressor columns in parallel,... 

It is appropriate to refer here to the development of non-suppressed ion chromatography. A simple chromatographic system for anions which uses a conductivity detector but requires no suppressor column has been described by Fritz and co-workers.28 The anions are separated on a column of macroporous anion exchange resin which has a very low capacity, so that only a very dilute solution (ca 10 4M) of an aromatic organic acid salt (e.g. sodium phthalate) is required as the eluant. The low conductance of the eluant eliminates the need for a suppressor column and the separated anions can be detected by electrical conductance. In general, however, non-suppressed ion chromatography is an order of magnitude less sensitive than the suppressed mode. 

Chromatography by ion exchange on a sulfonated poly(styrene-co-divinyl benzene) phase has been proposed as a replacement for titrimetry.57 Eluted by a dilute solution of a neutral salt such as sodium ethanesulfonate, the conductance of the protons can be measured in the absence of a suppressor from sub-millimolar to molar concentration. The response factors of mono-, di-, and trichloroacetic acid and of o-phthalic acid were large and essentially equivalent to ethanesulfonic acid, while the response factor of acetic acid was far smaller. A syringe pump has generated pressures as high as 72,000 psi (5000 bar) in a capillary column packed with 1 p particles, generating a fraction capacity of 300 peaks in 30 minutes.58... 

Figure 10 Separation of monochloroacetate, dichloroacetate, and trichloroacetate on a sulfonated poly(styrene-divinyl benzene) column with suppressed conductivity detection. Column 2% cross-linked sulfonated poly(styrene-divinyl benzene) capacity 0.02 meq/g. Flow rate 64 ml/hr. Eluant 15 mM sodium phenate. Suppressor 0.28 x 25 cm Dowex 50W X8 column (200-400 mesh). Detector Chromatronix conductivity cell connected to a Dow conductivity meter. (Reprinted with permission from Small, H., Stevens, T. S., and Bauman, W. C., Anal. Chem., 47,1801,1975. 1975 Analytical Chemistry.)...

Suppressor Source Continuous Solvent compatible Capacity Regeneration mode Ion type Regenerant source... 

An Ion Chromatograph has been successfully automated by interfacing it to an automatic sampler (7). Continuous unattended analysis was possible, the actual number of samples analyzed being limited by the ionic capacity of the suppressor column. The automated Ion Chromatograph was used to analyze soluble sulfates, ammonia and alkyl amines in stack and automobile exhqust samples. Excellent agreement between IC and automated barium chloroanilate titration for sulfate was obtained with a relative standard deviation less than 5%. 

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