How does flame ionization detector work ? Name two compounds that cannot be measured by this detector?
- A flame ionization detector (FID) is measures the concentration of organic species in a gas stream. It is frequently used as a detector in gas chromatography.
- The operation of the FID is based on the detection of ions formed during combustion of organic compounds in a H flame.
- The generation of these ions is proportional to the concentration of organic species in the sample gas stream.
- FID measurements are usually reported as "as methane", meaning as the quantity of it which would produce the same response. Hydrocarbons generally have molar response factors that are equal to the number of carbon atoms in their molecule, while oxygenates and other species that contain hetroatoms tend to have a lower response factor.
- CO and C02 are not detectable by FID.