Analysis of C2H4 in C2H6 and C2H5D with VUV absorption spectroscopy and a method to remove C2H4 from C2H6 and C2H5D

The photoabsorption cross section of C2H4 was measured in the spectral region 107-183 nm and those of C2H6 and C2H5D were accurately determined in the spectral region 107-162 nm using radiation from a synchrotron as source of VUV light. Typically, C2H4 present as a minor impurity in samples of C2H6 and C2H5D distorted the absorption cross section in curves of C2H6 and C2H5D in the onset region. We completely eliminated C2H4 from C2H6 and C2H5D using adsorption on activated Pd/charcoal at 195 K. By this means, we detected no C2H4 in samples of C2H6 and C2H5D according to their absorption spectra. The detection limit of C2H4 in C2H6 and C2H5D is less than 0.03 ppm with VUV absorption spectroscopy.