Measurement of Tritium in the Effluent of a Gas Chromatography Column

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1963 · Analytical Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ac60197a050· OSTI ID:4714821

Karmen, Arthur.; McCaffrey, Irmgarde.; Winkelman, J. W.; Bowman, R. L.

Two methods for assaying tritium in compounds analyzed by gas chromatography are described. When the tritium in each component is sufficient for accurate assay in less than 10 seconds, the assay is performed during the analysis. The column effluent is passed through a combustion train consisting of a heated tube containing copper oxide in which organic materials are converted to carbon dioxide and water; a tube containing heated iron, maintained in the reduced state by a stream of hydrogen gas, in which the water reacts to liberate tritium-labeled hydrogen gas; a magnesium perchlorate water trap; and an ionization chamber or a transparent tube filled with anthracene crystals for scintillation counting. When the samples contain insufficient tritium, the effluent is passed through cartridges containing p-terphenyl crystals coated with silicone oil. High boiling materials are trapped and retained. Each cartridge is transferred to a vial containing diphenyloxazole--toluene for radioassay by liquid scintillation counting for the time required for statistically accurate results.

• Research Organization: National Heart Inst., Bethesda, Md.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-17-017982
• OSTI ID: 4714821
• Journal Information: Analytical Chemistry, Journal Name: Analytical Chemistry Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 35; ISSN 0003-2700
• Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
CARBON DIOXIDE
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COMBUSTION
COPPER OXIDES
EVAPORATION
EXTRACTION COLUMNS
GASES
HETEROCYCLICS
HYDROGEN
IRON
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LIQUIDS
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MEASURED VALUES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXAZOLES
PHENYL RADICALS
POLYPHENYLS
RADIOCHEMISTRY
REDUCTION
SCINTILLATION COUNTERS
SILICONES
TOLUENE
TRITIUM
WATER