Noble Gas Analysis
The noble gases, i.e., helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), form a group of chemical elements with similar properties, such as odorless, colorless, and monatomic. Most importantly, they are chemically unreactive. Therefore, they are also called inert gases. Because of its chemically and biologically inert and unique isotopic features resulting from radioactive decay, the noble gases are commonly utilized to probe the ocean and Earth process, e.g., rocks and minerals dating. High-purity and quantitative noble gas sample preparation for mass spectrometric analysis are normally required. Therefore, adsorption of noble gases in an ultra-high vacuum activated charcoal trap at cryogenic temperatures is the most common procedure. The desorption of individual noble gas is a function of temperature for mass spectrometric measurements. For example, helium and neon can be selectively released at approximately 40 K and 80 K respectively at > 99% levels. Sometimes, researchers even use two charcoal traps to reduce the difficulty in selective desorption and increase the efficiency of measurements.
Customer References:
Jeffrey Severinghaus, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, USA: Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 7, Q10010 (2006).
Related Cryostats:
X-19 NGA Cryogenic Gas Trap
Ideal for noble gas analysis and separation
Ultra high vacuum (UHV) environment in gas trap
| Cryostat Model | Type |
|---|---|
| FMX-19-NGA | CCR |