Patent ID: 8465982

Claim:
A chromatographic method comprising the steps of: (a) injecting sample ionic species into an aqueous eluent stream from an eluent source, (b) chromatographically separating said sample ionic species in said eluent stream by flowing the same through chromatographic separation medium to exit as a chromatography effluent, (c) flowing said chromatography effluent through a detector to detect said separated sample ionic species in said chromatography effluent to exit as a detector effluent stream, flowing said detector effluent stream through a delay conduit downstream from said detector and upstream from a catalytic gas elimination chamber; (d) catalytically combining hydrogen and oxygen gases or catalytically decomposing hydrogen peroxide, or both, in said detector effluent stream by flowing it through said catalytic gas elimination chamber, to form water and reduce the gas content of the eluent effluent stream exiting said gas elimination chamber, and (e) recycling said catalytic gas elimination chamber effluent stream from said catalytic gas elimination chamber to said chromatography separation column, the residence time for flow of said detector effluent stream between said detector and said catalytic gas elimination chamber being at least about one minute to facilitate decomposition of unstable oxidative compounds.