Patent ID: 6060325
Filing Date: 2000-05-09
Classification: G01N,H01J,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for detecting and quantifying halogen levels in a sample containing non-aromatic halogenated compounds wherein said method distinguishes between halogenated species selected from the group consisting of Br.sub.2, BrCl, Br.sub.2 Cl, and mixtures thereof, comprising the steps of:(a) ionizing a reagent gas capable of producing thermal electrons having a thermal energy of 0 to 10 eV with a polychromatic ion source of a mass spectrometer to produce thermal electrons having thermal energy of 0 to 10 eV;(b) capturing said thermal electrons with a non-aromatic halogen containing compound to form at least one halogen atomic cluster anions, wherein said non-aromatic halogen containing compound has been passed through a gas chromatograph prior to said capturing of thermal electrons and wherein a mass spectrogram is obtained following said capturing of electrons;(c) speciating and quantifying said halogen atomic cluster anions using a mass chromatogram produced from a combination of said gas chromatograph and said mass spectrometer.