What are the tests for oxygen gas and hydrogen gas?

Answer 1

Hi Nilufar Y.,

What tests you might use depend on the levels of these analytes in your total gas sample, the number of samples to be tested, and your budget. Here are a few from my career:

There are perfectly good wet chemical tests specific to each, but these take some time.

You could inject them into a mass spectometer and analyse fragmentation (or not) patterns/ion masses.

You could search the literature for a solid-state sensor device to measure them.

You could ionize them and examine molecular spectra (distinctive for pure gases, but not so good at low levels).

You could perform thermal conductivity measurement; that's distinctive for pure H2 but subject to interference for O2.

You could separate them on a gas chromatograph through molecular sieve columns, with a thermal conductivity detector (reasonably specific and quantitative).

Yes, there are definitely a few options.

-- Cheers, -- Mr. d.

Answer 2

I am not quite sure how to answer this question adequately. Think about the type of reactions that may occur with both oxygen and hydrogen in general. Both elements can exhibit combustion reactions. When testing for the presence of these to elements, one might preform a burning splint test.