Panhandle State Foundation receives water lab grants By Charmen Rider Goodwell, Okla. — Panhandle State Foundation, Oklahoma Panhandle State University and John Koehn, Director of the OPSU Water Quality Lab, have worked in conjunction to secure funding to maintain the viability of OPSUs current gas chromatographs for teaching students in the Chemistry department and for use in the Water Quality Lab testing operation. The viability hinged on reducing the long term cost of operating the equipment. Gas chromatography is an analytical technique to separate and identify chemical compounds in a mixture. Gas chromatographs consume detector fuel (hydrogen) and oxidant (air) gases, carrier gas (helium), and a detector make-up gas (nitrogen), currently all from pressurized cylinders. Helium is a natural resource, and the price of helium has been rising dramatically. The cost increase to OPSU in the last two years has been 117 percent and is likely to reach the point where use of the gas chromatographs would have to be curtailed or eliminated. This would be an unfortunate loss to the chemistry teaching program and cause a reduction to the testing services offered by the water lab. Fortunately, there is an alternative approach to helium use, which involves converting the chromatographs to hydrogen carrier gas by generating hydrogen from the electrolysis of water. This conversion will eliminate the need cylinder gases in the gas chromatographs. With no pressurized cylinder gases needed, the handling and safety issues are also eliminated. This conversion will be safer, more economical and benefit the Chemistry department and its students, as well as the OPSU Water Quality Lab. Panhandle State Foundation was awarded a $10,000 grant last year from The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation for this conversion project. Recently, a $12,000 anonymous grant was received. These grants combined with other secured funding will be used to complete this approximately $26,000 project. Implementation of the equipment will take three to four months. Panhandle State Foundation is honored to be involved in this project benefiting both OPSU and OPSU students.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Apr 2014 10:21:30 +0000
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