An electrolyitic suppressor including (a) a suppressor bed of ion exchange
resin, (b) an electrode chamber adjacent the suppressor, (c) a first
electrode in the electrode chamber, (d) a barrier separating the
suppressor bed from the first electrode chamber preventing significant
liquid flow but permitting transport of ions only of the same charge as
the suppressor bed resin, (e) a second electrode in electrical
communication with the resin bed, and (f) a recycle conduit between the
suppressor outlet port and said electrode chamber. The second electrode
may be in contact with the ion exchange resin in the suppressor or located
in second electrode chamber. For anion analysis, the method of using the
apparatus includes: (a) flowing an aqueous liquid sample stream containing
anions to be detected and cation hydroxide through the separator bed, (b)
flowing the aqueous effluent from the separator bed through the
flow-through suppressor, (c) flowing the effluent liquid from the
suppressor past a detector, (d) recycling said liquid effluent from the
detector through a cathode chamber proximate to the suppressor bed and
separated by the first barrier, and (e) applying an electrical potential
between the cathode and the anode. Water is electrolyzed at the anode to
cause cations on the cation exchange resin to electromigrate toward the
barrier and to be transported across the barrier toward the cathode while
water in the cathode chamber is electrolyzed to generate hydroxide ions
which combine with the transported cations to form cation hydroxide in the
cathode chamber.