Method and apparatus for suppressed ion analysis in which a sample
solution of analyte (e.g., anion) in an eluent of electrolyte counterions
(e.g., sodium), is chromatographically separated. Then, the counterions
are suppressed in a suppression zone and removed and used to convert the
analyte ions to salt form in a salt-converting zone. The suppression and
salt-converting zones may be contiguous or remote, and may be performed
in devices of the membrane suppresser type. Thereafter, the salts or
acids or bases formed from them (e.g., in membrane suppressor devices)
are detected. Also, salt conversion can be performed using two ion
exchange packed bed salt convertors in which one bed is on-line while the
other is regenerated, followed by a reversal of flow.