The QuickTONb® of LAR Process Analysers AG is an on-line measuring system for the determination of total nitrogen (TNb) according to DIN 38409 part 27, ENV 12260 and ISO - TR11905-2.
The QuickTONb® is suitable for almost every TNb-measurement in process control or sewage and industrial waste water application. Typical on-line applications are control of the production (e. g. the chemical and petrochemical industries) and monitoring the influent and effluent of both industrial and municipal waste water treatment plants (WWTP).
The current state of the art engineering for thermal catalytic oxydation uses temperatures between 680° and 1000°C. The QuickTONb® has been engineered to work by using temperatures of more than 1200°C. Therefore, all nitrogen compounds are oxidized effectively and rapidly, regardless of their composition.
The QuickTONb® is designed to operate in a batch mode. The TNb is analysed in 3 minutes. This guarantees the determination of fast and transient peaks throughout the day.
The sample is taken using the patented and maintenance-free sampling system FlowSampler. FlowSampler works filtration-free and takes the sample in the centre of the sample stream against the direction of the main flow.
Even solid particles are sampled by the FlowSampler and reduced in size by a homogenizer. The sample is then pumped by the homogenizer through a flow through sample cell. In the sample cell the sample is continuously stirred to keep it in a homogenized, representative state.
The sample injection volume is controlled by a xy- syringe sampling system. The sample aloquote is then injected into the septumless injection port of the reactor.
By using a temperature of more than 1200°C the QuickTONb® obtains complete combustion of the nitrogen components in the sample. An important advantage compared with wetchemical methods is the complete detection of particle bounded nitrogen. At this high combustion temperature the analyzer´s percentage recovery for ammonia and nitrate nitrogen is excellent.
A main advantage of the high temperature combustion method used in the QuickTONb® is that no reagents are necessary for the operation of the system. This feature provides outstandingly low service and operation costs, even in continuous mode.
The combustion gas from the reactor flows through a 2 stage gas-cooler which is maintained at 4°C, to an absorption column before flowing into the chemiluminescence detector (CLD).
The CLD detects the nitrogen monoxide (NO) with excellent linearity and the highest possible accuracy. The NO-signal is converted to a peak profile that is calculated by the internal data processor to the TNb value.
Alternatively an electrochemical detector (ECD) is available. The ECD shows also excellent results in the range of 0-200mg/l N.
The software supports every available function from controlling the QuickTONb® to further processing of the measured values. An uncomplicated data transfer through serial or parallel interfaces to a monitoring station is a matter of course.
All these features result in an easy to operate analyser with low maintenance requirements, high reproducibility and fast measuring results for many years - the QuickTONb® by LAR.
