Application in Radiocarbon Dating
Benzene Line widely uses vacuum pyrolysis in the benzene production process. The approach (Skripkin and Kovaliukh, 1998) describes a single-stage procedure for lithium carbide production under the reported operating conditions.
The vacuum-pyrolysis approach described here is intended for selected carbon-containing samples and can be particularly useful where direct thermal decomposition and chemisorption are appropriate for the sample matrix. The cited Skripkin and Kovaliukh methodology describes direct processing approaches for selected organic materials, including applications in which carbonaceous gases produced during controlled vacuum pyrolysis are chemisorbed into a lithium alloy. Any use of this approach for bone-derived material should be understood in the context of that specific methodology and sample condition.
Scheme of high temperature reaction vessel (1998)
Development
The initial idea of vacuum pyrolysis application in radiocarbon dating was published in 1998. Future developments are enclosed in materials used in Benzene Line, and knowledge given in user's manual and during staff training. We use selected materials — Titanium, Teflon, Stainless Steel and Boron-Silicate Glass. Our general approach is to optimize volume (diameter and length) of benzene line. Vacuum pyrolysis fits into the base idea of benzene line — minimization of volume — in a metal reaction vessel.
Additional Applications
- •Capsule technology — produces carbide highly productively; allows obtaining small benzene samples; well applicable for both organic and carbonate samples; cost-effective.
- •Microliner thermodestruction technology — a direct thermal-processing approach for selected sample materials under the conditions of the described method.
Advantages
Applicable For
- •Different sample materials
- •Different sample matrices (solid, gases, liquid)
- •Fractioning materials
- •Highly contaminated samples
- •Low carbon materials