Abstract: An analytical chemistry apparatus and method for introducing a reagent into a flowing stream of liquid carrier in order to quantitatively analyze one or more components of a sample added into the carrier. The reagent is permeated across a short section of membrane having relatively large pores. The use of such a membrane: (a) allows the membrane to be protected from physical damage by covering it with a perforate structure; (b) significantly reduces bandspreading across the membrane reagent addition device; (c) reduces the pressure drop across the membrane reagent addition device; and (d) still allows for the permeation of an effective amount of the reagent into the carrier. The reagent is preferably pressurized to minimize leakage of carrier across the membrane and the reagent can be self-pressurized by essentially completely filling the reagent reservoir of the invention with reagent and then hermetically sealing the reservoir.

Abstract: A packaged test solution for determining the wavelength accuracy of variable wavelength liquid chromatography spectrophotometric detectors at one or more reference wavelengths consisting of 254.6, 378.9, 522.3, and 652.5 nanometers. The packaged solution comprises a hermetically sealed container of an effective concentration of erbium III ions such as a sealed container of a 0.2 molar solution of erbium III perchlorate in water. The test solution has the required intense absorption bands at the reference wavelengths which additionally do not vary by more than about 0.3 nanometers with the varying bandpass characteristics of such detectors.

Abstract: The overall mass transport efficiency of hollow fiber membrane separation cells is increased by introducing segmented flow into the bores of the fibers. The invention is preferably practiced by dispersing a gas segmentation phase into a continuous liquid phase and feeding the dispersion into the bores of the fibers to form alternating flowing segments of gas and liquid.

Abstract: An improved lost foam pour box and lost foam casting process wherein the improvements are positioning one or more fluid permeable separators, such as well points, within the contained volume of the box so that the gasses generated in the lost foam casting process can be vented to the exterior of the box by passing through the separators. By positioning the separators within the box, a larger box can be used and more castings can be made within with reduced burn-in and porosity defects in the resulting castings.

Abstract: A method for rapid and sensitive membrane assisted Flow Injection Analysis. A sample, containing a component to be analyzed, is injected into a flowing stream of carrier liquid and flowed past one side of a two-sided membrane. A receiving liquid is flowed past the other side of the membrane. The component to be analyzed is absorbed by the membrane from the carrier stream, is desorbed into the receiving stream and is carried to a detector for analysis in less than about 5 minutes. Critically, the partition coefficient of the component to be analyzed between the membrane and the receiving liquid is less than about 1.times.10.sup.1.

Abstract: A multicapillary gas chromatography column comprising a bundle of single capillary columns each of which have essentially the same internal diameter and which are coated with essentially the same thickness of essentially the same stationary phase so that each column has essentially the same standard retention factor. A method of producing such a column is to cut a single fused silica capillary column into a number of essentially equal lengths and then to bundle the lengths together. Each bundle end can then be inserted into, for example, a graphite ferrule and then the multicapillary column can be conventionally installed into a gas chromatograph. The multicapillary column of the invention has the injection, detection and sample capacity advantages of a relatively large diameter capillary column with the speed and resolving power of a relatively narrow diameter capillary column.

Abstract: A disposable flow cell for use in a thermal pulse flow meter of the type that incorporates a pulse heated thermal probe and a detecting thermal probe. The disposable cell has two side ports covered with a stretchable film barrier. The thermal probes extend into the flow cell through the ports stretching the barrier ahead of them so that the probes can transmit and then detect thermal pulses to a fluid flowing through the flow cell while at the same time maintaining isolation between the probes and the fluid. The invention is also a thermal pulse flow meter incorporating the above cell.

Abstract: An improved electrical plug household use to protect household occupants from electrical shocks while inserting or removing the plug from an electrical receptacle. The plug, in general, is a standard household electrical plug with or without a ground prong. The improvement of the present invention is to mount an elastically collapsible electrically insulating hood on the plug surrounding the prongs so that when the improved plug is inserted more than half way into the household electrical receptacle, the extent of the prongs not yet within the receptacle is surrounded by the hood and inaccessible to contact by household occupants, especially children. The hood can be a plastic bellows integrally molded with the body of the plug or the hood can be formed separatly and glued to the body of the plug. The hood can also be a foamed polymer tube section glued to the body of the plug.

Abstract: An improved rotary mace for striking off extraneous transient projections from, e.g., ferrous castings, the mace having a hub, at least one hammer and means for pivotably securing each of the at least one hammers to the hub, the improved means for securing the hammers including an adapter block for the hammers, each adapter block being removably fixedly attached to a peripheral face of the hub and the hammer being removably pivotably attached to the adapter block, e.g., by a clevis. Preferably, each hammer is supported upon a respective adapter block and each adapter block is provided with means for holding resilient bumper means positioned to receive the impact of the pivotable hammer at either maximal pivotable position. The novel adapter block also has secure fastening means for releasably securing the means for pivotably attaching each hammer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for analyzing a solution of a crystalline or a semi-crystalline polymer sample to determine a crystallinity versus weight percent profile concurrently with viscosity average molecular weight. The polymer sample is first precipitated from solution over a cooling temperature gradient to produce a precipitated polymer sample, which is precipitated as a function of its crystallinity. The precipitated polymer sample is then eluted and redissolved over a heating temperature gradient to produce successive fractions of a fractionated polymer sample solution, which are measured to produce concentration and specific viscosity data from which the intrinsic viscosity and viscosity average molecular weight are calculated.

Abstract: A method for titration flow injection analysis by introducing a multicomponent sample into a carrier stream which flows into a mixing/sensing cell and titrating with a reactant more than one component of the sample by sensing a plurality of endpoints. The apparatus of the invention includes a stirring means within the mixing/sensing cell which generates helical flow within the cell so that bubbles are not retained in the cell.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for extracting a component from a sample across a membrane into an extractant and then injecting the extracted sample component into a chromatographic eluent and onto a chromatographic column to chromatographically analyze the extracted sample component. In essence, the advance provided by this invention is that the extractant and the eluent are the same and only one pump is used for pumping the eluent and extractant. In prior apparatus and methods in this field, the extractant and the eluent were separate and each had its own pump.

Abstract: Apparatus for collecting a sample of particulate matter from a pneumatic conveyer system. A sample cup is positioned in the stream of gas carrying the particulate matter with the opening of the cup facing the gas stream. A foreshortened hollow duct-shaped collector element is positioned above the cup and aligned therewith. The transverse interior dimensions of the cup and collector are about the same. This positioning of the collector allows the particulate sample to settle into the cup and substantially prevents the sample from being blown out of the cup by the stream of gas which can be a serious problem when the gas stream velocity is relatively high and the collector element is not used. If it is desired to remove the sample cup through an opening in the wall of the pneumatic conveyer, a shield is provided between the collector element and the wall to substantially prevent the sample from being blown out of the cup by the stream of gas as the cup is being withdrawn.

Abstract: A flow programmer for gas chromatography of the type having a mass flow meter for controlling the flow rate of a gas chromatography carrier gas controllable at a selected carrier gas flow rate program by an electrical input to the mass flow meter and an electrical circuit for generating the electrical input. The improvement is that the electrical circuit for generating the electrical input is an analog electrical circuit which includes an operational amplifier having an electrical capacitor in the feedback loop of the operational amplifier to produce a selected voltage input program.

Abstract: Packing tube membranes or membrane channels for Ion Chromatography with inert or charged ion exchange beads greatly increases overall suppressor efficiency. The length of membrane required is reduced, e.g. from 20 feet to 5 feet and bandspreading is reduced from 870 .mu.l to 200 .mu.l. This significant increase in efficiency is attributed to the mixing action of the packing on the flow stream which results in convective radial transport much more rapid than the diffusion controlled transport observed in unpacked membranes. The technique is also described for developing more efficient liquid chromatographic post-column reactors for adding reagent to the column effluent to increase detection sensitivity.

Abstract: A vehicle door and reinforcement assembly therefor comprising a reinforcing beam hinged at one edge to the vehicle and slideably accommodated in a cavity provided within the door. The door and beam are assembled by first hinging the beam to the vehicle and thereafter sliding the door onto the beam. Suitable fasteners secure the door to the beam.

Abstract: An improved pre-aligned demountable plasma torch wherein the three tubes that are generally used in demountable plasma torches are now joined together with standard taper joints. The axis of the standard taper joints are essentially centrally aligned with the central long axis of the tubes so that the tubes are pre-aligned and essentially concentric in the assembled torch. If any of the tubes becomes damaged in use they can be replaced with a similarly constructed tube with a minimum of interruption and expense, without the need to adjust the tubes to be essentially concentric and in an assembly consisting of only 3 parts.

Abstract: A method for electrolytically pretreating a cation exchange membrane by partitioning a first aqueous electrolyte solution from a second aqueous electrolyte solution with the membrane and then passing an electrical current through the system so that the cations of the first solution electro-migrate through the membrane into the second solution. The cation composition of the first solution being more than 99.99% of hydrogen ion and a single cation moiety selected from the group consisting of alkali metal cations and alkaline earth cations, the cation composition of the second solution consisting essentially of the same cation composition as the first solution. The result is a membrane that is almost completely equilibrated with the cations of the first solution. The pretreated membrane is especially suitable for use in the sensor for chemical analysis described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,810.

Abstract: The surface texture of a moving transparent film is determined by applying a beam of collimated electromagnetic radiation at an angle of incidence sufficient to produce detectable backscattered radiation; collecting the backscattered electromagnetic radiation while avoiding specularly reflected radiation; and evaluating the intensity of the collected radiation for two components, a first component corresponding to the haze percent of the film and arising from the scattering of the collimated electromagnetic radiation by microscopic and submicroscopic features of the film surfaces, and a second component produced by the scattering of the collimated electromagnetic radiation by macroscopic surface blemishes, gouges and gel-like particles on each surface of the transparent film.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the on-line determination of the bonding strength of a plural layer laminate having at least one outer layer transparent to electromagnetic radiation, said method comprising: directing a collimated beam of electromagnetic radiation onto the substantially flat surface of said laminate at an incident angle substantially greater than a normal to the surface of said laminate; measuring the reflected intensity of said electromagnetic radiation at two substantially different diffuse reflectance angles; converting said reflected intensity to an intensity ratio by dividing the greater intensity value by the lesser intensity value to obtain a value which is proportional to the adhesion of the laminate based upon a pre-determined relationship of the bonding strength of said laminate and the value of said intensity ratio.