Pulsed discharge photoionization detector: Application to analysis of chloro alkanes/alkenes

A windowless pulsed discharge photoionization detector (PDPID) is described which uses the emission spectra from the discharge in helium and Ar/Kr doped helium. The emission from helium is a continuum ranging from 13.5–17.7 eV which ionizes all compounds except neon. The emission from 5.4% Ar/He ranges from 9.3–11.8 eV and ionizes most organic compounds and many inorganic compounds. The emission from 1.36% Kr/He consists principally of the resonance lines at 10.6 and 10.1 eV. These PDPIDs are used to analyze a 12 component mixture containing principally chloro alkane/alkene. The relative responses of the PDPID combined with the relative retention time can be used to qualitatively identify the chloro compounds.