Technical Information

Response Factors
In the ideal case, a Flame Ionization Detector (FID) is a carbon ion counter, whose response is directly proportional to the
carbon count of the material being analyzed. The response is generally output as a concentration of carbon atoms in the
medium being sampled, such as "parts per million carbon as vapor" or, for example ppm C (carbon).However physical detector
cell design limitations, the physics of the ion stream in the hydrogen flame and the molecular structure and composition of the
gas will affect the response. The FID output in many cases will NOT be equal to the actual carbon count. It will however be
repeatable and proportional. For example, a FID calibrated with 1000 ppm propane (C3H8) will read 3000 ppm C1. If 3000 ppm
methane is sampled, the response should be the same, i.e. 3000 ppm C1. In actual practice the reading is higher, but will
always be higher by the same factor. This factor is called the Response Factor (RF). The RF phenomenon is well known.
There can be RF for every compound. In some cases it will be unity ("1"). Ideally, one should know the RF for all compounds
being measured, so that the necessary corrections may be applied. If possible, one should calibrate the analyzer (FID) with a
known gas of the material being sampled. This is usually not practical, especially in cases where there are many gas
constituents, or the species are unknown, as in combustion products or other emissions.

In practice, most Total Hydorcarbon Analyzers with FID's are calibrated with propane span gases, and the results are reported
as ppm C3, (propane equivalent). If the response factor is known, the results may be converted to true concentrations, or the
Total Hydrocarbon Analyzer (THA) may be initially calibrated with the response factor built in.

The following formula defines the calibration in mgC/m3 :

A Cx
f RCx = C Cx fRCx : carbon responsefactor of the component x,
propane equivalent

ACx : measured (displayed) value of the component x

in mgC/m3 ; FID calibrated with propane,
with 1ppm C3H8 = 1,61 mgC/m3
under standard conditions (273 K, 1013 hPa)

CCx : carbon conzentration in mgC/m3 of the

measured component x

To convert the measured (displayed) value into the actual concentration:

A Cx
C Cx = f RCx

For the calibration in ppm the numerical values of fRCx are the same but the formula has to be changed
as follows:

[A Vx $ n Ref ]
f RCx = [C Vx $ n x ] fRCx : carbon responsefactor of the component x,
propane equivalent

AVx : measured (displayed) value of the component x

in ppm; FID calibrated in ppm propane

CVx : volume concentration of the measured component x

in ppm

nRef : carbon number of the reference molecule;

for propane: C3H8, 3 C-atoms: nRef = 3

nx : carbon number of the substance x

To convert the measured (displayed) value into the actual concentration:

[A Vx $ n Ref ]
C Vx = [f RCx $ n x ]

J.U.M. Engineering Ges.m.b.H.

Gauss-Str. 5, 85757 Karlsfeld, Tel: 08131-50416, Fax: 08131-98894
 Technical Information

The following response factors (propane equivalent) were determined by TÜV-Nord using two
J.U.M. FID´s, Model VE 7, the FID 2 was tested 9 months after the FID 1

Component Total Formula fRCx FID 1 fRCx FID 2

Acetone C3 H6 0,72 0,73
Acetylene C2 H2 0,92 0,94
Benzene C6 H6 1,05 1,05
n-Butane C4H10 0,98 0,98
Chlorbenzene C6H5_Cl 1,01 1,04
Chloroform HCCl3 0,82 0,78
Cyclohexane C6H12 0,93 0,94
Methylene Chloride CH2Cl2 1,09 1,06
Diethyl Ether C4H10O 0,75 0,77
Acetic Acid C2 H4 O 2 0,58 0,55
Ethyl Acetate C4H8O2 (H3C_COOC2H5) 0,70 0,72
Isobutyl Acetate 0,88 0,89
Ethanol C2 H6 O 0,65 0,67
4-Ethyl Toluene 0,88 0,89
n-Heptane C7H16 0,91 0,95
n-Hexane C6H14 0,85 0,86
Methane CH4 1,26 1,25
Methanol CH4O 0,69 0,68
iso-Octane 0,99 0,98
Propane C3 H8 1,00 1,00
iso-Propanol C3 H8 O 0,82 0,81
Tetrachlorethylene C2Cl4 1,22 1,20
Toluene C7 H8 1,02 1,03
Trichlorethene C2HCl3 1,03 1,01
1,1,1-Trichlorethane C2H3Cl3 1,06 1,02
p-Xyloene C8H10 0,91 0,90

Other C3H8 equiv. Response factors found with J.U.M. FID´s VE7, 3-300A and 3-200

Component Total Formula fRCx

Acetonitrile C2 H3 N 0,7
2-Butanol C4H10O 0,83
2-Butanone C4 H8 O 0,78
Chlorpropionsäuremethylester 0,69
Dichlormethane 1,06
Diisopropylether C6H14O 0,84
Dimethylformamide C3H7NO 0,50
Dioxane C4 H8 O 2 0,51
Ethylbenzene C6H5_C2H5 1,04
Ethan C2 H6 1,01
Ethin 1,07
Etylenglykolmonoethylester 0,58
Iso-Octane 0,98
Isopropylalcohol (Isopropanol) 0,79
Methanol CH3OH, CH4O 0,79
Methylcyclohexane C7H14 0,96
Methylenechloride CH2Cl2 1,1
4-Methyl-2-Pentanone C6H12O 0,83
Pentane C5H12 0,98
i-Propanol C3 H8 O 0,74
n-Propanol C3 H8 O 0,80
Propylchloride C3H7Cl 1,05
o-Xyloene C8H10 1,01
Trichlormethane (Chloroform) 0,8
Trichloethene 1,07

J.U.M. Engineering Ges.m.b.H.

Gauss-Str. 5, 85757 Karlsfeld, Tel: 08131-50416, Fax: 08131-98894