Development of an Automated Measurement System Using a Diffusion Scrubber and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography for the Monitoring of Formaldehyde and Acetaldehyde in Automotive Exhaust Gas

Y Komazaki, Y Narita, S Tanaka

Analyst. 1998 Nov;123(11):2343-9.

PMID: 10396812

Abstract:

An automated measurement system for monitoring formaldehyde (HCHO) and acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) in automotive exhaust gas by using a diffusion scrubber in combination with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed. HCHO and CH3CHO are effectively collected by the diffusion scrubber, which consists of a hydrophobic porous PTFE tube disposed concentrically within a Pyrex-glass tube and a scrubbing solution. 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine is used as the scrubbing solution for trapping HCHO and CH3CHO, which are derivatized to formaldehyde 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (DNPH-HCHO) and acetaldehyde 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (DNPH-CH3CHO), respectively, with phosphoric acid as an acid catalyst. After the collection of the gas sample, the sample solution in the diffusion scrubber is injected into the HPLC system and DNPH-HCHO and DNPH-CH3CHO are separated and determined. All measurement operations are sequenced by a programmable controller and an automated continuous measurement can be performed at 10 min intervals. The collection efficiencies of HCHO and CH3CHO were higher than 97% at a gas flow rate of 0.21 min-1. The detection limit (3 sigma of the blank value) was 0.001 ppm v/v for HCHO and CH3CHO for a 1.61 gas sample volume. No interference of co-existing nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the collection of HCHO and CH3CHO was observed. The average concentration of HCHO in the exhaust gas from methanol-fueled vehicles was 77.3 ppm v/v (n = 5) in the cold-phase mode when engines were first started. In the hot-phase mode, the average concentration of HCHO was 3.3 ppm v/v (n = 15). The concentrations of HCHO measured by this automated measurement system were in good agreement with those obtained using the impinger-HPLC method.

Chemicals Related in the Paper:

Catalog Number	Product Name	Structure	CAS Number	Price
AP1019574	Acetaldehyde-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone		1019-57-4	Price