November 2012

Since the end of last year an elementary analyzer (type “vario Micro cube”, Elementar company from Hanau) has been used for chemical analysis of various sample materials in the institute of physical chemistry. The advantages of this instrument are its special specifications like the possibility to analyze very small amounts of sample material below one milligram as well as materials showing high temperature stability like carbon materials or silicon carbides. In addition to the standard measurement of the elements carbon, nitrogen und hydrogen, it is possible to determine the elemental content of sulfur and oxygen, which are of great interest during the investigation of electrode materials for generation four lithium batteries. The picture shows the core of the elementary analysis consisting of the separation column connected to a heat-conductivity detector. The measuring principle is the sensitive and quantitative comprehensible heat-conductivity change of the carrier-gas (helium) caused by addition of the gases CO2, H2O, N2 and SO2, which are formed by combustion of the analyte substances in stoichiometric amounts. (Picture submitted by Christine Raiß.)