Carbon monoxide measuring method and device

Abstract

Abstract A method and apparatus for measuring trace amounts of carbon monoxide in a sample gas. The technique comprises filtering a specimen portion of a sample gas to free it of condensation nuclei. The filtered, carbon monoxide-bearing gas specimen is then reacted with a polymer to induce thermoparticulate production of consideration nuclei from the polymer. To enhance the thermoparticulate production of the condensation nuclei, the polymer is heated to a temperature value just below that required for appreciable thermoparticulate production due to thermal agitation alone. In the presence of carbon monoxide, thermoparticulate production of condensation nuclei is enhanced and proves a measure of quantity of carbon monoxide present in the gaseous specimen. By suitably controlling the temperature to which the polymer is heated the CO-measuring device can be made sensitive to a wide range of carbon monoxide concentration. A preferred apparatus in accordance with the invention includes a scale range changing arrangement for adapting the indicator of the condensation nuclei meter to operate over a wide range of particle concentrations together with means for simultaneously operating the scale range changing function with changes in temperature of the reactant polymer whereby for increasing CO concentrations the reactant temperature is lowered and the scale of the indicator is adjusted to read higher CO concentrations. The polymeric material which may be employed as a reactant is from the group consisting of styrene divinyl benzene copolymer, polyethylene, chlorinated polystyrene and copolymer of styrene. The polymeric material preferably is in the form of finely divided, globular beads and the filtered, CO-bearing gas specimen to be reacted is passed over the surface of the beads in a manner to maximize surface exposure of the polymeric material to the gas specimen.

Inventors

• 👤 Eric G Walther

Bibliographic Details