Adalbert Wollrab

and Reinhard Wandrey A Flame Ionization Detector

Justus Liebig University
63 Giessen
Federal Republic of Germany
with a Transistor Amplifier

Flame ionization detectors are often used for gas chro-

matography because of their high sensitivity and wide-
spread application possibilities.' In this paper a simple
flame ionization detector with a voltage supply of 4.5 V or
9 V will he described. As an indicator device one can use
an ammeter with 1 mA measuring range, which is usually
available at schools and universities. A recorder can also Figure 2. Detector circuit variant with voltage supply of 9 V.
be used if a 1 Mohm resistance is inserted between its
input socket and the amplifier. This flame ionization de-
tector can easily and effectively be incorporated into a
demonstration chromatograph for teaching purpose^.^.^
Description
&MPLIFIER +
OUTPUT ,M 77 rDER INPUT

--C
The D e t e c t o r Figure 3. Circuit variant incorporatingrecorder.

Brahson's detector3 has been slightly modified and is

shown in Figure 1. It consists of two knitting needles for been lighted, a funnel is turned upside down over the de-
electrodes that have been inserted through a cork. They tector providing a still air environment for the flame. The
should not he allowed to touch one another and should end of the knitting needles are connected to wires that
have a minimal distance of about 0.5 mm a t the point lead to the amplifier.

-
where they cross. Hydrogen, which is used as carrier gas,
is passed from the chromatograph through a capillary that The Amplifier
perforates the middle of the cork. After the hydrogen has Two circuit variants are here descrihed. The one in Fig-
ure 2 uses two 4.5-V batteries to produce the power sup-
ply. The series connection of hoth batteries amounts to an
electric potential of 9 V, that can he regulated by means
of a potentiometer from &9 V. Choice of sensitivity can
he regulated by adjusting the voltage. The ionization cur-
rent (several nanoamperes) is amplified by means of a
Darlington switch and is conducted from here to a mea-
suring device. In this order the total amplification corre-
sponds to the product of the amplification of the individu-
al transistors. Because of the high current gain at a simul-
taneously high inductive resistance this circuit is well
suited as an FID amplifier. Type 2 N 3117 can he used as
transistors, although all npn transistors with a 200-500
times current amplification range and a small residual
current can he used. The simpler of the two variants has
only one, instead of two 4.5 V batteries, and no potenti-
ometer. This equipment guarantees adequate sensitivity
for a measuring apparatus with a measuring range of 1
mA. A recorder can also be used for hoth variants; an ade-
quate circuit is shown in Figure 3.
...
'.Jent~seh. D.. and Ottt,. E.. 'Derrcturs "3rd in Ca5-Chrornnlo-
grayhy." Akadrrnirrhe Verlngrge~eli,.rhafr. Frankfwr hlam.
,o-"
Figure 1. Brabson's Detector. A , column: 8. capillary with carrier gas .,a".
(hydrogen) and outlet: C, knitting needles; D, cork: E, funnel: and F. Wollrab A,, J. CHEM. EDUC., i n print.
wires leading to detector circuit. 3 Brabson G. D., J. CHEM. EDUC., 49,71 (1972).

818 / Journal of ChemiollEducation