US3871768A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Molecular emission cavity analysis
Assignee: Sanwa Business Credit Corp
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Filing: 1973-08-20
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Granted: 1975-03-18
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Expires: 1993-08-20
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus is disclosed for analysing a sample of matter by emission spectroscopy. The apparatus includes an emission promoting structure defining a sheltered region whereby a reactant vapour can be retained within the region whilst being exposed to flame gas whilst at the same time permitting optical analysis of the interacting gases in the sheltered region. A novel method of analysis is also disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 Ronald Belcher
- 👤 Alan Townshend
- 👤 Stanley Bogdanski
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 13:35
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/62; G01N21/71; G01N21/72
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim
147 words
A method of analyzing a sample of a matter by emission spectroscopy in which a reactant sample is exposed to flame gas to produce emissions and the emissions are detected by an optical analysis device, characterized by the steps of providing an emission-promoting strucutre defining a sheltered region, exposing reactant vapor within said region to flame gas and focusing the optical analysis device upon the interacting gases in said region and further characterized by providing said sheltered region by a structure which surrounds and defines a hollow space with an open end, introducing the sample to the space, and maintaining said structure in relation to an external flame so that at least said open end lies in the interior of a flame with the predominant direction of movement of the flame gases in the vicinity of the said open end being generally across the said open end.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
147 words
A method of analyzing a sample of a matter by emission spectroscopy in which a reactant sample is exposed to flame gas to produce emissions and the emissions are detected by an optical analysis device, characterized by the steps of providing an emission-promoting strucutre defining a sheltered region, exposing reactant vapor within said region to flame gas and focusing the optical analysis device upon the interacting gases in said region and further characterized by providing said sheltered region by a structure which surrounds and defines a hollow space with an open end, introducing the sample to the space, and maintaining said structure in relation to an external flame so that at least said open end lies in the interior of a flame with the predominant direction of movement of the flame gases in the vicinity of the said open end being generally across the said open end.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 1 including focusing said analysis device upon gases contained in said sheltered region through the end across which open flame gas flows.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method according to claim 1 characterized in that the emission-promoting structure is disposed with the open end tilted slightly towards a burner from which the flame emanates to intercept a limited portion of the stream of flame gas for introduction into said sheltered region.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 1 characterized in providing, in contact with the sample in said region, a substance which promotes emission.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method according to claim 4 characterized in that the substance is oxygen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 4 characterized in that the substance is a solid material at a surface exposed to said sheltered region.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 1 characterized in controlling the temperature of a surface bounding said sheltered region for promoting the emission.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method according to claim 7 characterized in that the temperature is controlled by appropriate selection of the material, size and shape of at least a portion of the emission promoting structure exposed to said sheltered region.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method according to claim 1 characterized in providing a flame which produces hydrogen radicals that interact with reactant vapor contained in said sheltered region to produce molecular emissions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
87 words
An emission-promoting structure for use in an analyzer in conjunction with a flame and an optical emission analysis device, said structure defining a sheltered region for containing reactant, an exposure path for flame gas to interact with the reactant in the sheltered region and an optical path projecting out of said sheltered region whereby, under conditions influenced by said structure, reactant vapor in said sheltered region and flame gas can mix, interact and emit along said optical path to said analysis device radiation characteristic of said interaction.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
87 words
An emission-promoting structure for use in an analyzer in conjunction with a flame and an optical emission analysis device, said structure defining a sheltered region for containing reactant, an exposure path for flame gas to interact with the reactant in the sheltered region and an optical path projecting out of said sheltered region whereby, under conditions influenced by said structure, reactant vapor in said sheltered region and flame gas can mix, interact and emit along said optical path to said analysis device radiation characteristic of said interaction.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The structure according to claim 10 characterized in that said sheltered region is sized between about 1 cubic millimeter and 1 cubic centimeter.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
51 words
The structure according to claim 10 for use with a burner producing a flame outside of said sheltered region characterized in that said structure defining said sheltered region is smaller than the flame and movable to a predetermined position in a portion of the flame to expose reactant to flame gas.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
The structure according to claim 10 characterized in that means are provided for introducing hydrogen to said sheltered region through said exposure path and means are provided for introducing a limited flow of oxidizer through a separate stream into said sheltered region.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The structure according to claim 10 characterized by including a heat control surface immediately adjacent said sheltered region.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The structure according to claim 14 characterized in that said heat control surface is connected through a heat conductive path to a conductive mass defining a heat sink.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
39 words
The structure according to claim 14 characterized in that said heat control surface is connected through a heat transfer path of predetermined heat transfer properties to a heat receiving surface exposed to a flame outside of said sheltered region.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
47 words
The structure according to claim 14 characterized in that means are provided for maintaining said heat control surface cooler than the flame, said control surface being positioned for exposure to a mixture of said reactant vapor and flame gas whereby emissions from their interaction can be enhanced.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
The structure according to claim 14 characterized in that means are provided for causing a heat transfer fluid to flow in contact with a conductive path leading to said heat control surface.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The structure according to claim 14 characterized in that means are provided for maintaining said heat control surface at an elevated temperature for producing heated reactant vapor.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
53 words
The structure according to claim 14 characterized in that said heat control surface comprises a support for a liquid or solid reactant and means are provided for maintaining said heat control surface at an elevated temperature relative to said reactant thereby to conduct heat into said reactant to promote its decomposition and vaporization.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
34 words
The structure according to claim 10 characterized in having a lower sheltering surface and an upper sheltering surface spaced a predetermined distance above said lower sheltering surface, the space therebetween comprising said sheltered region.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
31 words
The structure according to claim 21 characterized in that said sheltering surfaces are connected by side wall sheltering surfaces whereby all said sheltering surfaces together surround and define a hollow space.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The structure according to claim 22 characterized in that said surfaces form a cavity in a structurally rigid member.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
17 words
The structure according to claim 21 characterized in haVing a side opening which defines said exposure path.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
66 words
The structure according to claim 24 in combination with means producing a flame outside of said sheltered region, characterized in that a device positions said structure in relation to the flame so that at least said opening lies in the interior of the flame with the predominant direction of movement of the flame gases in the vicinity of said opening being generally across the said opening.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
34 words
The structure according to claim 25 characterized in that said opening is tilted slightly toward a burner from which the flame emanates to intercept a limited portion of the stream of said flame gas.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
34 words
The structure according to claim 26 characterized in that the axis of said opening is tilted between 5* and 20* from the direction perpendicular to the axis of the predominate flow of flame gases.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
23 words
The structure according to claim 24 characterized in that said opening is of the range of 1 mm to 1 cm in diameter.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
40 words
The structure according to claim 21 characterized in having an opening in the range of 1 mm to 1 cm diameter and a bottom wall at a depth from said opening on the order of the diameter of said opening.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
20 words
The structure according to claim 10 characterized by including a passage for introducing a fluid reactant into said sheltered region.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
23 words
The strucutre according to claim 10 characterized by including a carrier surface bounding said sheltered region for absorbing or adsorbing a fluid reactant.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
24 words
The structure according to claim 10 characterized by combination with a burner constructed to produce a cool hydrogen diffusion flame for producing molecular emissions.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
36 words
The structure according to claim 10 characterized in that a burner is provided to produce a flame having a diameter between about 5 to 20 mm and a flame height between about 30 and 200 mm.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
25 words
The structure according to claim 33 characterized in that said burner is connected to a source of hydrogen and a source of inert cooling gas.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
17 words
The structure according to claim 34 including means for mixing with said hydrogen, oxygen or oxygen-containing gas.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
35 words
The structure according to claim 10 characterized by combination with a guide device for repeatedly guiding said structure from a retracted filling position to a constant position relative to a flame and an analysis device.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
42 words
The structure according to claim 10 characterized by combination with a burner for producing said flame and an optical emission analysis device, said analysis device defining an optical path aligned to receive the emitted radiation directly from said sheltered region for analysis.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
31 words
The structure according to claim 29 characterized in that the ratio of said depth from said opening to said diameter of said opening is in the range of 0.5:1 to 3:1.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
14 words
The structure according to claim 29 characterized in that said bottom wall is concave.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
41 words
The structure according to claim 24 characterized in that said sheltered region is generally defined by a sphere having its center positioned such that the ratio of the diameter of said opening to the diameter of said sphere is about 0.5:1.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
36 words
The structure according to claim 24 characterized in that the ratio of the maximum transverse dimension of said opening to the maximum transverse dimension of said sheltered region is less than 1:1 and greater than 0.1:1.
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) | 1978-03-17 | 1978-09-16 | 1979-03-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-03-17 | 1982-09-16 | 1983-03-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-03-17 | 1986-09-16 | 1987-03-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |