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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

On-line, multielement ICP spectrometer for application to high temperature and pressure fossil fuel process streams

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6483964
METC is developing a real-time, multielement ICP spectrometer system for application to high temperature and high pressure fossil fuel process streams. The ICP torch operates on a mixture of argon and helium with a conventional annular swirl flow plasma gas, no auxiliary gas, and a conventional sample stream injection through the base of the plasma flame. The base of the torch body is a unique design, allowing process gas at 650[degree]C to be injected into the torch. The RF generator (40.68 MHz) can deliver 10 kW, but the best detection limits have been observed at 5 kW. The detection system is a quartz fiber optic bundle mated to a battery of one-tenth meter monochromators with photomultiplier tubes. A microcomputer controls scanning of the monochromators and data acquisition from the PMTs. The METC ICP system is modular and mobile, allowing the system to be operated in close proximity to any process of interest. Previous work by other researchers [1] focused on monitoring of liquid phase process streams and looked only at elements at a relatively high concentration. Process monitoring by ICP spectrometry under conditions relevant to METC's advanced technologies has not been previously reported. The principle reason for this lack of progress is the difficulty of sustaining a stable plasma discharge around a high flow of carbon-containing sample gas.
Research Organization:
USDOE Morgantown Energy Technology Center, WV (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI ID:
6483964
Report Number(s):
DOE/METC/C-93/7065; CONF-930304--18; ON: DE93011587
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English