Screening of inorganic gases released from firework-rockets by a gas chromatography/whistle-accelerometer method.

ABSTRACT

The use of an accelerometer for detecting inorganic gases in gas chromatography (GC) is described. A milli-whistle was connected to the outlet of the GC capillary and was used instead of a classical GC detector. When the GC carrier gases and the sample gases pass through the milli-whistle, a sound is produced, leading to vibrational changes, which can be recorded using an accelerometer. Inorganic gases, including SO2, N2 and CO2, which are released from traditional Chinese firework-rockets at relatively high levels as the result of burning the propellant and explosive material inside could be rapidly determined using the GC/whistle-accelerometer system. The method described herein is safe, the instrumentation is compact and has potential to be modified so as to be portable for use in the field. It also can be used in conjunction with FID (flame ionization detector) or TCD (thermal conductivity detector), in which either no response for FID (CO2, N2, NO2, SO2, etc.) or helium gas is needed for TCD, respectively.