Patent ID: 8367423

Claim:
A method of generating a base and using the base as an eluent for anion analysis, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a cation source in a cation source reservoir, (b) pumping an aqueous liquid stream through a first base generation chamber using a pump with an outlet disposed upstream of a first base generation chamber which is separated from said cation source reservoir by a first barrier substantially preventing liquid flow while providing a cation transport bridge, (c) applying an electric potential between an anode in electrical communication with said cation source reservoir and a cathode in electrical communication with said first base generation chamber to electrolytically generate hydroxide ions in said first base generation chamber and to cause cations in said cation source reservoir to electromigrate toward said first barrier and to be transported across said first barrier toward said cathode to combine with said transported cations to form cation hydroxide, (d) removing the cation hydroxide in an aqueous liquid stream as an effluent from said first base generation chamber, (e) using said pump to pump said cation hydroxide generated in step (d) and a liquid sample containing anions to be detected downstream from said first acid generation chamber through a chromatographic separator in which anions to be detected are chromatographically separated, forming a chromatography effluent, and (f) flowing said chromatography effluent, with or without further treatment, past a detector in which the separated ions in said chromatography effluent are detected.