Aspects of the mechanism of the flame ionization detector

The development of flame ionization detection (FID) took place on an empirical basis without a clear understanding of the mechanism. The study of flames by MS showed that the all-important ion was the formylium ion CHO+. The pre-combustion degradation was thought to be a pyrolytic degradation and hydrogenation at the high temperatures obtained close to the combustion zone. Using a capillary probe inside the flame it was recently shown that a degradation of all hydrocarbons to methane takes place at low temperatures by the reaction of hydrogen atoms which are generated in the burning hydrogen. The effects of hetero atoms and of 2H substitution was studied by the same method.