Method of sample burning for microchemical combustion analysis

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF SAMPLE BURNING FOR MICRO-CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF A SAMPLE CONTAINED IN A COMBUSTION TUBE HAVING A SAMPLE BURNING SECTION, A PREHEATING SECTION ADJACENT ONE END OF THE SAMPLE SECTION, A SWEEPING SECTION ADJACENT THE OTHER END OF THE SAMPLE SECTION, AND A SECTION CONTAINING A CATALYST ADJACENT THE OTHER END OF THE SWEEPING SECTION WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: HEATING THE PREHEATING SECTION TO A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE; THEREAFTER HEATING THE SAMPLE BURNING SECTION TO A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE LOWER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE PREHEATING SECTION; THEN HEATING THE SWEEPING SECTION TO A PREDETEMINED TEMPERATURE LOWER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SAMPLE BURNING SECTION; MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE PREHEATING SECTION HIGHER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SAMPLE BURNING SECTION AND THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SAMPLE BURNING SECTION HIGHER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SWEEPING SECTION DURING GENERATION OF ANY SAMPLE VAPORS IN THE SAMPLE BURNING SECTION THUS PRODUCING A FORWARD MOVING THERMAL-GRADIENT IN THE COMBUSTION TUBE IN THE DIRECTION TOWARD THE CATALYST SECTION FROM THE PREHEATING AND SAMPLE BURNING SECTIONS; HEATING THE CATALYST SECTION TO A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE LOWER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SWEEPING SECTION; AND MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CATALYST SECTION LOWER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SWEEPING SECTION DURING GENERATION OF ANY SAMPLE VAPORS IN THE SAMPLE BURNING SECTION AND UNTIL SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE SAMPLE VAPORS HAVE MOVED INTO THE CATALYST SECTION.