Patent ID: 8043507
Filing Date: 2011-10-25
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A chromatographic method comprising: (a) chromatographically separating sample ionic species in an aqueous liquid eluent stream flowing through a chromatography separation medium, to form a chromatography effluent, (b) suppressing the chromatography effluent from step (a) by flowing it through a chromatography effluent flow channel on one side of a first ion exchange membrane in a membrane suppressor, (c) flowing suppressor effluent from said chromatography effluent flow channel past a flow-through detector to form a detector effluent stream, (d) recycling the detector effluent from step (c) to a detector effluent flow channel in said membrane suppressor on the opposite side of said first membrane from said chromatography effluent flow channel, (e) mixing effluent from said detector effluent flow channel with a source of eluent and flowing the mixture to said chromatography separation medium, and (f) catalytically combining hydrogen and oxygen gas, or catalytically decomposing hydrogen peroxide, or both, in said detector effluent stream in a catalytic gas elimination chamber to form water thereby reducing the gas content in said detector effluent stream.