chemical detector
Quick Summary
A chemical detector is an instrument used in chromatography to sense solutes as they emerge from a column. These detectors can be general, detecting all solutes, or specific, identifying only certain types of solutes, such as those containing halogens or nitrogen.12
Detectors can be either nondestructive, allowing solutes to be collected after detection, or destructive, which alter the solutes. Key characteristics of detectors include their lower limit of detection, sensitivity, and linear range.12
Examples of gas chromatographic detectors include:
* Thermal-conductivity detectors: Compare the heat-conducting ability of the exiting gas stream to a pure carrier gas stream.1
* Flame-ionization detectors: Burn the gas stream with hydrogen, detecting ions produced by organic substances.1
* Electron-capture detectors: Measure a reduction in current caused by electron-capturing atoms, particularly halogens.1
* Flame photometric detectors: Measure the intensity of light emitted when certain elements are excited in a flame.1
Chemical sensors are also used in warning systems to detect minute amounts of chemical substances.3
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