Analyzing salt water or industrial wastewater containing salts for the total organic carbon content is very useful for detecting environmental pollution, but can be difficult and lead to increased instrument downtime and costly repairs. At high temperatures, salt can cause the growth of crystals on quartz combustion tubes. It can also coat the surface of the catalyst and prevent the catalytic conversion of organic compounds to carbon dioxide. Even in low concentrations, over time, salt crystallization in the system will require increased maintenance.

Instrument designers have developed a variety of ways to deal with salt in TOC analyzers including elaborate salt traps, ceramic combustion tubes, special kits, and the use of sulfuric acid. These approaches add to the cost of the system, and in the case of sulfuric acid, may lead to poisoning of the catalyst. In this webinar, Dr. John Welsh will discuss the challenges and options for managing TOC analysis of salt containing samples, as well as the approach taken with the new combustion technology OI Analytical recently introduced that eliminates the need for special kits, the use of potentially detrimental acids, and expensive combustion tubes. Data will be presented that shows the long-term stability of the system, the increased longevity of the catalyst, and the decrease in the amount of maintenance needed.