Utilization of a Soft Ionization Mass Spectrometer for Ultra High Sensitivity and Fast Response Emission Measurements

The performance of a soft ionization mass spectrometer (MS) has been investigated using nearly one hundred hydrocarbon components and nine inorganic components. Based on a list of typical hydrocarbon emissions from automotive exhaust, synthesized samples have been used to discuss the cross-sensitivity of the target components. The system has been shown to measure hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) such as 1,3-butadiene, benzene and toluene in the vehicle exhaust. As a result, the technique will prove to be very useful in emissions monitoring in the development of low emissions vehicles.