Apparatus for determining organic carbon content of polluted liquids

Claim 1

IN AN ANALYTICAL APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE TOTAL QUANTITY OF ORGANIC CARBON AS A POLUTAN IN AN AQUEOUS STREAM BY VAPORIZING A SAMPLE TAKEN FROM THE STREAM AND OXIDIZING TO CARBON DIOXIDE THE TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON IN THE SAMPLE, THE DETERMINATION BEI*G ON THE BASIS OF THE MEASURE OF CARBON DIOXIDE FORMED PER UNIT MEASURE OF THE SAMPLE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A MIXING CHAMBER, A FIRST METERING PUMP DISPOSED TO DELIVER INTO SAID MIXING CHAMBER A CONTINUOUS FLOW SAMPLE TAKEN FROM THE STREAM, A SECOND METERING PUMP DISPOSED TO DELIVER INTO SAID MIXING CHAMBER, A CONTINUOUS FLOW OF LIQUID REAGENT FOR REACTION THEREIN WITH THE SAMPLE TO REMOVE THE INORGANIC CARBON CONTENT THEREOF AS CARBON DIOXIDE; A REACTION CHARMBER, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID MIXING CHAMBER AND TO SAID REACTION CHAMBER TO DELIVER FROM SAID MIXING CHAMBER INTO SAID REACTION CHAMBER A CONTINUOUS FLOW AQUEOUS SAMPLE TO BE ANALYZED AND WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF INORGANIC CARBON AND CARBON DIOXIDE, SAID REACTION CHAMBER HAVING AN INLET FOR INTRODUCING THE AQUEOUS SAMPLE TO BE ANALYZED AND AN OUTLET FOR THE EXIT OF GASEOUS AND VAPOR PRODUCTS FORMED FROM SUCH SAMPLE, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING AIR INTO SAID REACTION CHAMBER TO ESTABLISH AN OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE THEREIN, A PACKING MTERIAL DISPOSED WITHIN SAID REACTION CHAMBER FOR HEATING THE SAMPLE INTRODUCED, AND MEANS FOR HEATING SAID PACKING MATERIAL TO A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE ORGANIC CARBON IN THE SAMPLE IS OXIDIZED TO CARBON DIOXIDE BY SAID ATMOSPHERE, SAID PACKING MATERIAL BEING DISPOSED TO DEFINE WITHIN THE EACTION CHAMBER AN INLET PLENUM ZONE