Patent ID: 7892848

Claim:
A method of using a continuous electrolytic ion exchange device to analyze an anion sample, comprising: (a) flowing a basic solution through a homogeneous anion depletion chamber of said continuous electrolytic ion exchange device to remove trace anion impurities to generate a pure basic solution, followed by; (b) flowing said pure basic solution through a chromatographic separator column, which contains an anion sample, to elute said anion sample, followed by; (c) flowing said pure basic solution containing said anion sample through a homogeneous cation depletion chamber of said continuous electrolytic ion exchange device to suppress said pure basic solution by converting said pure basic solution to water, and to enhance said anion sample by converting anions in said anion sample to an acid; and (d) flowing said water and acid generated in said homogeneous cation depletion chamber through an electrical conductivity detector to analyze said anion sample in acid form; wherein said trace anion impurities are transferred from said homogeneous anion depletion chamber to a central heterogeneous anion and cation concentration chamber of said continuous electrolytic ion exchange device, wherein said cations of said basic solution are transferred from said homogeneous cation depletion chamber to said central heterogeneous anion and cation concentration chamber of said continuous electrolytic ion exchange device, and wherein said central heterogeneous anion and cation concentration chamber is located between said homogeneous anion depletion chamber and said homogeneous cation depletion chamber of said continuous electrolytic ion exchange device; and wherein said continuous electrolytic ion exchange device includes an anode chamber comprising an anode therein, a first cation membrane contiguous with said anode chamber, said homogeneous cation depletion chamber contiguous with said first cation membrane where said homogeneous cation depletion chamber includes cation exchange materials therein, a second cation membrane contiguous with said cation depletion chamber, said central concentrate chamber contiguous with said second cation membrane, the central concentrate chamber including therein anion or cation or a mixture of anion and cation exchange materials, a first anion membrane contiguous with said central concentrate chamber, said anion depletion chamber contiguous to said first anion membrane, the anion depletion chamber including anion exchange materials, a second anion membrane contiguous with said anion depletion chamber, and a cathode chamber comprising a cathode therein which is contiguous with said second anion membrane, and wherein a voltage is applied to achieve ion movements within said continuous electrolytic ion exchange device.