Thermal Conductivity Concentration

by Philip Saltsman

Submitted : Fall 2008

In this project, the mole fraction for a species in a binary mixture from data that was electronically measured and recorded by a thermal conductivity detector and a gas chromatograph was found. First, the data had to be plotted to help visually determine what needs to be resolved. The plotted points form a curve with two distinguishing peaks and a slight downward slope. Next, a function was created and subtracted from the original for each point in order to develop a baseline and eliminate the slope of the curve. Following this, the area had to be found for each curve. The method chosen for accomplishing this involves creating rectangles using consecutive horizontal points and the average of the associated vertical points to create each rectangle. From here, horizontal points were estimated from where the two specific peaks begin and end in order to establish two different areas. From this point, all that is left is simple algebra to determine the mole fraction. The results prove to be both logically and mathematically accurate.

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