PRESENTATION

ECS 4010
Innovation in elemental analysis

The Elemental Combustion System 4010 was designed as an advanced analytical platform for CHNS-O elemental analysis and Nitrogen/Protein determination. It is based on an automatic analytical unit whose operation - from sampling up to signal detection - is microprocessor controlled. It represents an evolution in the technique of elemental analysis by "flash combustion/chromatographic separation and multi-detector techniques".

Traditionally, automatic instruments for CHNS-O elemental analysis have been divided into two groups; micro and macro elemental analysis. Samples for micro EA are easily analyzed by sophisticated automatic instruments using the technique of combustion/gas chromatography.

For the analysis of stable isotopes of CHNS-O, a sampling system is required which does not contaminate the sample with atmospheric
nitrogen and oxygen, especially working at very low levels. Advanced,
highly stable catalysts are required to avoid any material exchange to the combusted gases.
To increase throughput and minimize maintenance time and cost, a simple approach to the design of the analyzer is essential, particularly for macro sample analysis where all combustion gases pass through the detector system without splitting or diluting.

CONTINUOUS FLOW EA-IRMS

The ECS 4010 uses the combustion/GC separation technique for elemental analysis. This makes it perfectly suitable for continuous flow, stable isotop analysis.

All instrument parameters are controlled by an internal microprocessor, no external computer or software is required when connected to a mass spectrometer. All that is needed for the EA/MS application is the ECS
base unit and an autosampler. The ECS will accept an external start signal from any mass spectrometer, so the two instruments can function together.

Our Zero Blank autosampler is unique, and is especially suited for EA-IRMS.The sealed carousel design eliminates any nitrogen background (blank). Two interchangeable carousels, 50 positions for normal size samples, and 32 positions for large samples, are available and can be changed in just 1 minute.

An optional isolation valve minimizes system changes when adding samples to the carousel.

To measure total CHNS-O, as well as the isotope ratios from the mass spectrometer simultaneously, our EAS software can be synchronized with the mass spectrometer so the two instruments run in the same time frame. This is because EAS will accept an external start signal: the mass spectrometer software starts the ECS, then the ECS sends an external
start signal to EAS to begin data acquisition.

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