Continuous polarographic analysis for low hydrogen sulfide concentrations

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF CONCENTRATIONS OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE IN MULTICOMPONENT MIXTURES WHICH METHOD COMPRISES THE STEPS OF REACTING SUBSTANTIALLY PURE WATER WITH ANHYDROUS AMMONIA TO PRODUCE A SOLUTION OF AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE; PASSING A STREAM OF MULTICOMPONENT MIXTURE CONTAINING HYDROGEN SULFIDE CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH SAID AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION TO PRODUCE A SOLUTION OF AMMONIUM SULFIDE; CONTINUOUSLY PASSING A STREAM OF SAID AMMONIUM SULFIDE SOLUTION THROUGH A MEASURING CELL PORTION OF A POLAROGRAPHIC ANALYZER APPARATUS; CONCURRENTLY CONTINUALLY DROPPING LIQUID MERCURY DROPS FROMA DROPPING MERCURY ELECTRODE ARRANGED IN SAID MEASURING CELL PORTION AND DISPOSED IN THE AMMONIUM SULFIDE SOLUTION PASSING THERETHROUGH; MAINTAINING AN APPLIED ELECTRIC VOLTAGE BETWEEN THE DROPPING MERCURY ELECTRODE AND A REFERENCE ELECTRODE DISPOSED IN A REFERENCE CELL PORTION OF SAID POLAROGRAPHIC ANALYZER; DEVELOPING A CONTINUOUS SIGNAL REPRESENTATIVE OF VOLTAGE-DIFFUSION CURRENT RELATIONSHIP OBTAINING BETWEEN THE DROPPING MERCURY AND THE REFERENCE ELECTRODES; AND TRANSLATING SAID SIGNAL INTO A CONTINUOUS SENSIBLE INDICATION PROPORTIONAL TO THE SULFIDE ION CONCENTRATION OF THE AMMONIUM SULFIDE SOLUTION PASSING THROUGH THE MERCURY CELL PORTION OF THE POLAROGRAPHIC ANALYZER APPARATUS, SAID SENSIBLE INDICATIONB EING ALSO PROPORTIONAL TO AND REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CONCENTRATION OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE PRESENT IN THE STREAM OF MULTICOMPONENT MIXTURE BEING ANALYZED.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF CONCENTRATIONS OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE IN MULTICOMPONENT MIXTURES WHICH METHOD COMPRISES THE STEPS OF REACTING SUBSTANTIALLY PURE WATER WITH ANHYDROUS AMMONIA TO PRODUCE A SOLUTION OF AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE; PASSING A STREAM OF MULTICOMPONENT MIXTURE CONTAINING HYDROGEN SULFIDE CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH SAID AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION TO PRODUCE A SOLUTION OF AMMONIUM SULFIDE; CONTINUOUSLY PASSING A STREAM OF SAID AMMONIUM SULFIDE SOLUTION THROUGH A MEASURING CELL PORTION OF A POLAROGRAPHIC ANALYZER APPARATUS; CONCURRENTLY CONTINUALLY DROPPING LIQUID MERCURY DROPS FROMA DROPPING MERCURY ELECTRODE ARRANGED IN SAID MEASURING CELL PORTION AND DISPOSED IN THE AMMONIUM SULFIDE SOLUTION PASSING THERETHROUGH; MAINTAINING AN APPLIED ELECTRIC VOLTAGE BETWEEN THE DROPPING MERCURY ELECTRODE AND A REFERENCE ELECTRODE DISPOSED IN A REFERENCE CELL PORTION OF SAID POLAROGRAPHIC ANALYZER; DEVELOPING A CONTINUOUS SIGNAL REPRESENTATIVE OF VOLTAGE-DIFFUSION CURRENT RELATIONSHIP OBTAINING BETWEEN THE DROPPING MERCURY AND THE REFERENCE ELECTRODES; AND TRANSLATING SAID SIGNAL INTO A CONTINUOUS SENSIBLE INDICATION PROPORTIONAL TO THE SULFIDE ION CONCENTRATION OF THE AMMONIUM SULFIDE SOLUTION PASSING THROUGH THE MERCURY CELL PORTION OF THE POLAROGRAPHIC ANALYZER APPARATUS, SAID SENSIBLE INDICATIONB EING ALSO PROPORTIONAL TO AND REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CONCENTRATION OF HYDROGEN SULFIDE PRESENT IN THE STREAM OF MULTICOMPONENT MIXTURE BEING ANALYZED.