Hiden Analytical have added a pulsed chemisorption option to their CATLAB range of combined microreactor-mass spectrometer systems. The new CATLAB-PCS now provides for gas uptake measurements, adsorption isotherms and dispersion measurements.
Pulse chemisorption involves pulsing known quantities of gas over an activated catalyst and quantifying the gas uptake at each pulse. In the CATLAB-PCS system, accuracy of the result is ensured with a precision sample loop of known volume injecting the pulse into an inert carrier gas before passing over the catalyst. Several pulses are usually used until saturation occurs. When the detected peak areas reach a constant level, they can be used to calibrate the system. The uptake of absorbate can then be calculated for each pulse. Control of the experiment including data acquisition and valve control is done via the Hiden CATLAB software.
The CATLAB-PCS pulse chemisorption system can be used to determine information such as adsorption isotherms, monolayer coverage and dispersion. Reaction mixtures can also be pulsed over a catalyst allowing catalyst retention of reactant, product distribution and mass balance information to be determined. As the Hiden CATLAB-PCS features a mass spectrometer system as standard, several different species can be monitored at a time.