Trace anions determinations in caustic solutions require high dilution to minimize column overload by the caustic sample. However, the high dilutions required prevent analysis of trace anionic contaminants. Here a single pass approach to neutralize the base sample is demonstrated using both suppressors run in recycle mode. The run time was reduced from 45 min in the previous version of this application, AN 93 using “Park and AutoNeutralize” to 12 min. This application is demonstrated on a 5% (w/w) sodium hydroxide sample. An ICS-6000 can be used for this application.

Determination of anions in high pH samples is important for a variety of industries. But anions in a high pH sample cannot be determined without proper sample pretreatment due to the high concentration of hydroxide, which can act as an eluent, in the sample. This record shows an easier method to determine mg/L concentration of anions in sodium hydroxide using automated inline sample preparation with Thermo Scientific™ Dionex™ Guardcap™ H vial caps. The caps serve as a cation exchange cartridge to neutralize samples before loading to the Thermo Scientific™ Dionex™ IonPac AS23-4μm column.

Plastic samples can be very difficult to analyze as sample preparation is required to extract analytes or remove interfering matrices, and these sample preparation techniques can be labor intensive. In this application note, we demonstrate that a CIC system can be used for automated qualitative and quantitative analysis of halogens and sulfur in plastic samples. Four plastic samples were analyzed for their chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), and sulfur (S) content. Method accuracy was evaluated using a polymer certified reference material (ERM EC680k) for Cl,Br, and S.

Organic solvent extraction is a standard technique in the detergent industry for isolation of organic components from inorganic matrices and separation of ionic and nonionic surfactants. For example, analysis of the alcohol-soluble portion of detergents is routinely performed to verify the integrity of the manufacturing process. Traditional extraction of this material is labor-intensive and uses large amounts of liquid solvent. With ASE, manufacturers can streamline the extraction process to quickly verify product quality and provide feedback information into the production cycle.

In the electronics industry, ionic contamination in the range of parts per trillion (ppt, ng/L) to parts per billion (ppb) concentrations is a major concern, causing corrosion-related failures in production and final product. Ionic contamination is increasingly important as the devices decrease to size. This technical note demonstrates automated calibration and water purification on an ICS-5000+ HPIC dual IC system to minimize the system and environmental contamination which resulted in increased sensitivity to double-digit-ppt concentrations. An ICS-6000 can be used for this application.