US3980882A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Methods and apparatus for the chemical analysis of flowing materials
Assignee: National Research Development Corp UK
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Filing: 1974-04-18
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Granted: 1976-09-14
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Expires: 1994-04-18
Abstract
Abstract The present invention concerns apparatus for analyzing flowable substances such as slurries using techniques such as X-ray fluorescence, infra-red reflectance or emisson spectrography. The material to be analyzed is caused to flow over a plate in a very thin film so that a quantitive measurement of the elements of interest in the material can be made by analytical systems.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenneth Garfield Carr-Brion
- 👤 Angela Wendy Williams
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 13:58
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N23/00; G01N23/22; G01N23/223; G01N21/00; G01N21/17; G01N21/47; G01N21/4738; G01N2223/00; G01N2223/07; G01N2223/076
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
111 words
An apparatus for use in the analytical determination of a given substance in a flowing material, said apparatus comprising: a member having an upwardly facing substantially planar surface; means for causing a stream of said material to flow in a substantially invariant manner over said surface in the form of a thin film; and an analytical system comprising means selectively responsive to electromagnetic radiation of at least one wavelength which corresponds to a spectral characteristic of said given substance, said selectively responsive means being disposed in fixed relationship to said surface out of contact with said film for receiving radiation travelling from the vicinity of a given portion of said film.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
111 words
An apparatus for use in the analytical determination of a given substance in a flowing material, said apparatus comprising: a member having an upwardly facing substantially planar surface; means for causing a stream of said material to flow in a substantially invariant manner over said surface in the form of a thin film; and an analytical system comprising means selectively responsive to electromagnetic radiation of at least one wavelength which corresponds to a spectral characteristic of said given substance, said selectively responsive means being disposed in fixed relationship to said surface out of contact with said film for receiving radiation travelling from the vicinity of a given portion of said film.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
79 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, in which at least part of said member consists of electrically conductive material which extends to a portion of said surface over which said stream flows, and the apparatus further comprises an electrode disposed above said member so that an electrical discharge can be caused to pass between said electrode and said portion of said surface, said selectively responsive means being an optical spectrograph disposed to receive light emitted from said electrical discharge.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said analytical system further comprises an x-ray source disposed for irradiating said portion of said film, and said selectively responsive means is operative so that said at least one wavelength is a wavelength of fluorescent x-rays of said given substance excited by radiation from said source.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said means for causing said stream to flow over said surface comprises means, disposed in fixed relationship to said surface, for discharging substantially vertically onto said surface a stream of said material having a substantially constant flow rate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said means for causing said stream to flow over said surface is operative so that the thickness of said film does not exceed 1 millimeter.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-09-14 | 1980-03-15 | 1980-09-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-09-14 | 1984-03-15 | 1984-09-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-09-14 | 1988-03-15 | 1988-09-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |