Sample preparation and collection means for gas chromatographic columns

Claim 1

A CHROMATOGRAPHIC METHOD FOR SEPARATING A NORMALLY LIQUID, WIDE BOILING RANGE MIXTURE CONTAINING A PLURALITY OF CLOSE-BOILING COMPONENTS, COMPRISING PREPARING A SAMPLE OF SAID MIXTURE FOR INTRODUCING INTO A CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATING ZONE BY HEARING A TIGHTLY COMPACTED, GAS- AND LIQUID-PERMEABLE MASS OF A MATERIAL THAT IS INERT WITH RESPECT TO THE SAMPLE MIXTURE AND HAVING EXTENSIVE SURFACE AREA AND HAVING A THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY IN THE RANGE OF METALS AND ALLOYS, SAID MASS OF MATERIAL BEING CONFINED WITHIN AND SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING A SAMPLE VAPORIZING CHAMBER THAT IS ELONGATED IN THE DIRECTION OF CARRIER GAS FLOW, SAID MASS OF MATERIAL BEING HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO PROMOTE GRADUAL VAPORIZATION SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE ORDER OF DECREASING VOLATILITY OF THE VAPORIZABLE COMPONENTS OF THE SAMPLE THAT ARE VAPORIZABLE AT THE CONDITIONS OF THE SYSTEM, ESTABLISHING A FLOW OF CARRIER GAS THROUGH SAID HEATED MASS, AND INJECTING SAID SAMPLE INTO SAID HEATED MASS, VAPORIZING SAID VAPORIZABLE COMPONENTS IN A SUCCESSION OF INCREMENTS SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE ORDER OF DECREASING VOLATILITY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME SUCH THAT EACH VAPORIZED INCREMENT IS SWEPT BY SAID CARRIER GAS ALONG THE PATH OF CARRIER GAS FLOW AT LEAST SOME DISTANCE WITHIN SAID HEATED MASS FROM THE PLACE OF INITIAL VAPORIZATION BEFORE VAPORIZATION OF A SUBSEQUENT INCREMENT, WHEREBY A PARTIAL SEPARATION OF SAID VAPORIZABLE COMPONENTS TAKES PLACE WITHIN SAID HEATED MASS, THEREAFTER REMOVING FROM SAID MASS THE GRADUALLY VAPORIZED COMPONENTS OF SAID SAMPLE IN PARTLY SEPARATED FORM SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE ORDER WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN VAPORIZED BY CONTINUING THE FLOW OF CARRIER GAS THERETHROUGH, EFFECTING A FURTHER SEPARATION OF SUCH COMPONENTS INTO DISTINCT PORTIONS BY INTRODUCING THE EFFLUENT FROM SAID MASS INTO A CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATING ZONE, AND REMOVING FURTHER SEPARATED COMPONENTS IN SEPARATED FORM FROM THE CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATING ZONE BY ELUTION WITH SAID CARRIER GAS, AND ACCELERATING ELUTION OF HEAVIER COMPONENTS FROM SAID SEPARATING ZONE BY GRADUALLY INCREASING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATING ZONE DURING ELUTION WITH CARRIER GAS, THE VOLUME OF SAID CHAMBER BEING AT LEAST ABOUT THE VOLUME OF SAID CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATING ZONE AND SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE VOLUME OF SAID SAMPLE.