Patent ID: 8393195
Filing Date: 2013-03-12
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting the at least occasional presence of at least one chemical compound in a fluid flow of a method for the separation or chemical treatment of organic compounds, and for the quantification of at least the mean quantity of said chemical compound in the fluid flow, comprising at least the following steps: connecting, at a point A for sampling said fluid flow, a test capture apparatus (ST) comprising at least one removable hollow metallic cartridge (MC) with a weight of less than 10 kg, comprising therein a divided capture mass (CAPT) which can capture said chemical compound by adsorption and/or capillary condensation and/or chemisorption, said mass being a solid or a gel and being permeable to said fluid, said test capture apparatus (ST) optionally comprising a plurality of said cartridges (MC) in series; withdrawing and circulating a fraction of the fluid flow through the cartridge or cartridges (MC) for a period T, sufficient to capture at least the major portion of the chemical compound contained in said fraction of the fluid flow, to reach at least the detection and quantification limit of said chemical compound in at least 10% of the weight of said capture mass (CAPT), and to saturate at most 95% by weight of said capture mass (CAPT) with said chemical compound; measuring the cumulative flow (CFL) of fluid which has traversed the cartridge over the period T; interrupting circulation of said fraction of the fluid flow in the cartridge; removing said cartridge after depressurizing and/or flushing with a fluid which is free of said chemical compound; opening said cartridge, optionally in an atmosphere of a fluid which is free of said chemical compound, and extracting at least a portion of said capture mass (CAPT) from said cartridge; obtaining a qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis of said chemical compound in one fraction or more fractions of said capture mass (CAPT) and/or in the gases emitted by said fraction of said (CAPT) after a desorption step, from analysis means which are external to the said capture apparatus (ST); from the quantitative chemical analysis and from the value of the cumulative flow (CFL) of fluid which has traversed the cartridge, determining the mean quantity of the chemical compound in the fluid flow over said period T.