As far as I know, Ascarite is a proprietary name for sodium hydroxide on an
asbestos support. Soda asbestos is similar. I use Merck/BDH Carbosorb-AS
(#33163) indicating granules as a carbon dioxide trap in my Europa Roboprep
system.

Tom Preston


>Dear listsubscribers,
>
>I was reading an old paper:
>Grosse A.V.., Hindin, S.G. and Kirshenbaum, A.D. (1949). Elementary
>isotopic analysis. Determination of oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen in
>organic compounds. Anal. Chem., 21: 386-390.
>In this manuscript a trap in their system is called: Ascarite trap.
>This is used to remove carbon dioxide and water from N2 gas for
>nitrogen analysis. Can anybody tell me what an ascarite trap exactly
>is? In the manuscript by Grosse et al. few is said about this device,
>except the name, the contents formed by a 'suitable drying agent', and
>its function.
>
>Thanks in advance to all explanations/reactions.
>
>Best wishes,
>Pier de Groot.
>**************************************************************
>Dr. P.A. de Groot
>University of the Witwatersrand
>Economic Geology Research Unit
>Department of Geology
>Private Bag 3
>2050 Johannesburg
>South Africa
>Tel.    +27 11 7162564
>Fax.    +27 11 3391697
>E-mail  <[log in to unmask]>
>
>Visit the combined HOME-PAGE of EGRU-Geology on the Internet:
>         http://www.wits.ac.za/science/geology/index.htm
>**************************************************************
>
>
Dr Tom Preston,
Isotope Biochemistry Laboratory,
Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre,
Rankine Avenue,
Scottish Enterprise Technology Park,
East Kilbride,
Glasgow  G75 0QF

Tel:            +44-(0)-1355-270108
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