Abstract: Apparatus and processes for water impurity analysis and for impurity analysis of various other liquids as well. Apparatus and processes are provided for physical characterization of liquid drops as a liquid sample builds up and then drops from a sample needle or other source. Liquid drop characterization is through utilization of infrared liquid drop measuring and computer modeling to measure a liquid drop as it builds up and then measures the falling liquid drop. By optically measuring an infrared radiated falling drop, and/or by characterizing the manner by which a sample drop is formed, a very precise way of determining the exact volume of a liquid sample is accomplished. Sample volume is typically directly proportional to concentration levels of the chemical constituent to be measured. By computer modeling, a falling drop can be quantified as to volume, rather than depending on the otherwise standard way of injecting a “known” volume.

Abstract: Apparatus and processes for water impurity analysis and for impurity analysis of various other liquids as well. More particularly, the present invention concerns apparatus and processes for chemical oxidant and catalyst enhanced total organic carbon analysis of liquid samples for determination of the level of organic contamination of the samples. In particular the present invention concerns a novel reactor for TOC anlysis in which carbon, particularly organic carbon is oxidized to CO.sup.2 gas for further measurement by a CO.sub.2 gas detector, preferably a non-dispersive infrared analyzer. The invention also concerns a process for TOC analysis wherein by measuring the CO.sub.2 gas created by combining carbon with oxygen (either in the water, with a carrier gas of oxygen (O.sup.2), or a chemical oxidant, such as sodium persulfate, the carbon in the water sample is determined. A process and apparatus are employed for TOC analysis in which UV light having a wave length in the range of from about 3.8 to about 4.