Patent ID: 7993586

Claim:
A total organic carbon measurement apparatus comprising: an organics oxidation unit for oxidizing and converting organics in an aqueous sample supplied thereinto, to carbon dioxide; a carbon-dioxide separation unit for transferring the carbon dioxide in the aqueous sample after passing through said organics oxidation unit, to measurement water; and a conductivity measurement unit for measuring a conductivity of the measurement water from said carbon-dioxide separation unit, wherein said carbon-dioxide separation unit includes a gas permeable membrane, a first plate and a second plate which are laminated and fixed to each other in such a manner that an aqueous-sample flow passage is defined between said first plate and said gas permeable membrane, and a measurement-water flow passage is defined between said second plate and said gas permeable membrane and in opposed relation to said aqueous-sample flow passage through said gas permeable membrane; wherein said conductivity measurement unit includes a third plate fixedly attached to said second plate in opposed relation thereto in such a manner that said third and second plates are arranged to define therebetween a measurement cell including an electrode flow passage in fluid communication with said measurement-water flow passage; and a conductivity measuring electrode disposed in said measurement cell; wherein the third plate includes a supply port for supplying the ion-exchanged measurement water to the measurement-water flow passage and to a branch flow passage, a first discharge port that discharges a first part of the ion-exchanged measurement water that has passed through both the measurement-water flow passage and the electrode flow passage and a second discharge port; wherein said second and third plates are arranged to define therebetween the branch flow passage for guiding a second part of the ion-exchanged measurement water supplied via the supply port to the second discharge port; and wherein the carbon dioxide in the aqueous sample is transferred from the aqueous-sample flow passage to the measurement-water flow passage through the gas permeable membrane and dissolved in the first part of the ion-exchanged measurement water.