Meaning
Specialized chamber designed to maintain an inert atmosphere around a sample during thermal or chemical analysis. A nitrogen purge cell displaces oxygen and moisture with a continuous flow of high purity nitrogen gas. This prevents oxidation and other unwanted reactions that would interfere with the measurement.
Atmospheric Control
Flow rates must be carefully balanced to avoid cooling the sample or disturbing the sensitive balance mechanisms in the instrument. Using a nitrogen purge cell is necessary when testing polymers that degrade rapidly in the presence of oxygen at high temperatures. It ensures the resulting data reflects the true properties of the material rather than a reaction with air.
Component Seal
Seals and gaskets prevent the leakage of ambient air back into the test environment. The nitrogen purge cell must be inspected regularly to ensure that the internal pressure remains slightly higher than the surrounding room. Even small amounts of oxygen can lead to significant errors in weight loss measurements during thermogravimetric analysis.
Laboratory Application
Precise gas delivery systems allow for the switching of gases to study different reaction environments. The nitrogen purge cell is a standard feature in most advanced thermal analysis systems used for material research.
