Patent Number: 050135228
Section: abstract

For determining the content and the chemical composition of particulate compounds in a liquid flow (15), the particulate compounds are collected on a filter (20) in a container (19) of a material which is permeable to microwaves. When carrying out the determination, samples of a fixed size of the liquid in the flow are supplied batchwise to the container on one side of the filter via an openable and a closable connection (16, 17) between the liquid flow and the container. At the same time, liquid from each liquid sample supplied batchwise, which has passed through the filter, is discharged from the container via an openable and a closable outlet (30, 31) on the other side of the filter. After closing of the connection between the liquid flow and the container and of the outlet for the liquid having passed through the filter, the container with the particulate compounds collected on the filter is supplied with a fixed amount of the solvent for the particulate compounds and the particulate compounds are dissolved in the solvent while being heated in a microwave oven. The solution of the particulate compounds, thus obtained, in each liquid sample supplied batchwise is led via an openable and a closable connection (33, 34) to an analysis apparatus (35) in which the composition and the content of one or more of the particulate compounds are determined. All actions, such as opening and closing of valves, heating processes and times for different operations, are controlled by automatic control.