Patent ID: 7018845

Claim:
A method for oxidizing samples comprising the steps of: introducing a sample and a first amount of an oxidizing agent into an oxidation chamber maintained at an elevated temperature, and introducing at least one additional amount of the oxidizing agent into the combustion chamber, where the combustion chamber comprises an inner tube having an interior and an exterior and an outer tube having an interior, where the first amount of oxidizing agent oxidizes the sample in a first combustion zone, which comprises the interior of the inner tube and the at least one additional amount of the oxidizing agent continues to oxidize the sample in a second combustion zone, which comprises a region between the exterior of the inner tube and the interior of the outer tube, where the first and additional amounts of the oxidizing agent are in excess of a stoichiometric amount of oxidizing agent needed to completely convert all oxidizable components in the sample into their corresponding oxides, where the oxidizable components are partially or completely convened into their corresponding oxides, and where the introduction the additional amounts of oxidizing agent improves an oxidation efficiency of the combustion chamber.