KIN-TEK’s Trace Source™ permeation tubes use a mixture of reagent grade nitric and sulfuric acids as the analyte source. Trace concentration mixtures of nitric acid vapor are typically particularly difficult to prepare and store due to the aggressive chemical properties of nitric acid, but these permeation tubes take a different approach to the problem. They are characterized by:
- Sulphuric acid binds the water, reducing water emission to negligible levels.
- Emission of the sulfuric acid is extremely low compared to that of nitric acid, so the emission is primarily nitric acid.
- Formation of nitrogen oxides in the vapor is minimized by dynamically blending the emission to form trace concentration mixtures that are then used immediately.
- Tubes are available for concentrations from low ppb to to about 10 ppm in 1 l/min dilution flow.