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CHARACTERIZATION OF SORBENT RESINS FOR USE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING
Citation:
Gallant, R., J. King, P. Levins, AND J. Piecewicz. CHARACTERIZATION OF SORBENT RESINS FOR USE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/7-78/054 (NTIS PB284347), 1978.
Description:
The report describes the use of chromatographic techniques to characterize resins which are used to trap vapors in environmental sampling schemes. It describes two such techniques (frontal and elution analysis) which have been applied to characterize sorbent cartridges packed with Tenax-GC and XAD-2 sorbents, two synthetic polymeric resins commonly used as sampling media. Three diverse adsorbate groups, consisting of eight distinct chemical classes, were studied as potential pollutants. Elution analysis of these vapors yielded specific retention volumes which can be directly related to the breakthrough characteristics of the sorbent resins under a diversity on sampling conditions. Adsorption coefficients, derivable from the specific retention volumes, yield the weight capacity of the sorbent at challenge concentrations in the Henry's Law region. Frontal analysis results confirm the elution data for sorbate uptake of resins. A slight flow rate dependence for sorbate uptake is noted for XAD-2. Specific retention volume data extrapolated to ambient conditions correlate well with adsorbate boiling point and molecular polarizability. These correlations allow breakthrough and weight capacity to be estimated for a variety of adsorbate types.