Abstract
The efficiency of a caustic scrubbing technique for determining trace quantities of elemental fluorine in air was investigated. It was found that for concentrations studied in the range of 3 to 4480 ppb a recovery of 98% was obtained with a single scrubber. Depletion of the sodium hydroxide in the scrubber by other acid gases in the air is not a factor as long as excess caustic is present. Conversion of the sodium hydroxide to sodium carbonate through reaction with atmospheric carbon dioxide reduces the efficiency only slightly.