Why purchase FIA rather than Segmented Flow Analysis (SFA)?
FIA has several fundamental advantages over SFA because of the absence of air bubbles in the FIA analytical stream. Faster startup Since FIA does not require the use of air bubbles, it is not necessary to precondition the manifold with a surfactant, pump in the reagents and wait until a bubble pattern is established. Shorter analysis times Because FIA has both highly precise sample volumes and analysis times, each standard and sample are exposed to the same analytical conditions. As a result, the reaction does not need to be brought to a steady state as it does with SFA. Less carryover Due to the excellent inter-sample washout characteristic of FIA, there is no significant carryover between samples. In contrast, carryover is an integral part of SFA requiring post-run data processing before a final, accurate concentration result can be calculated. Faster shutdown Again, due to the absence of air bubbles as well as higher flow velocities and lower manifold rinsed volumes, an FIA manifold
