Large volume gas chromatography injection port
A method and system for sample analysis involve a temporally-resolving separation of sample components. In the method, solvent vapors are condensed prior to entering a temporally-resolving separator, a GC column, for example, and solvent-depleted vapors are directed to the separator where constituents are resolved in time. A system for analyzing a sample comprises an injection port, a temporally-resolving separator (e.g., a GC column) and a conduit connecting the two. The injection port is at a temperature sufficiently high to vaporize the solvent and analytes present in a sample. The conduit is configured and/or operated to condense the solvent, while maintaining the analytes in the vapor phase.
1. A sample analysis method, comprising:
vaporizing a solvent and analytes present in a sample;
condensing solvent vapors upstream of a temporally-resolving separator to produce a solvent-depleted vapor component;
passing the solvent-depleted vapor component through the temporally-resolving separator, thereby resolving in time analytes present in the solvent-depleted vapor component; and
analyzing the time-resolved analytes with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer.
2. The sample analysis method of claim 1 , further comprising evacuating the condensed solvent vapors.
3. The sample method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent is water and is present in the sample in an amount of at least 99 volume percent.
4. The sample analysis method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is provided by direct injection and without sample splitting.
5. The sample analysis method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent vapor is condensed in a transfer line upstream of the temporally-resolving separator.
6. The sample analysis method of claim 1 , wherein the temporally-resolving separator is a GC column.
7. The sample analysis method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of solvent vapors condenses on inner surfaces of a transfer line.
8. A sample analysis method, comprising:
vaporizing a sample containing a solvent and analytes from a thermal desorption tube or a cryo-trap;
condensing solvent vapors upstream of a temporally-resolving separator to produce a solvent-depleted vapor component; and
passing the solvent-depleted vapor component through the temporally-resolving separator, thereby resolving in time analytes present in the solvent-depleted vapor component.
9. The sample analysis method of claim 8 , wherein the method does not employ a secondary thermal desorption tube.
10. The sample analysis method of claim 8 , further comprising a mass spectrometry or an optical spectrometry analyzer.
11. The sample analysis method of claim 8 , wherein solvent vapors are condensed downstream of the thermal desorption tube or the cryo-trap.
12. A sample analysis system, comprising:
an injection port;
a temporally-resolving separator;
a conduit connecting the injection port and the temporally-resolving separator; and
a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer for analyzing time-resolved analytes from the temporally-resolving separator,
wherein,
the injection port is at a temperature sufficiently high to vaporize a solvent and analytes present in a sample; and
the conduit is configured to condense the solvent and maintain the analytes in the vapor phase.
13. The sample analysis system of claim 12 , wherein the temporally-resolving separator is a GC column.
14. The sample analysis system of claim 12 , further comprising an arrangement for cooling or heating or both cooling and heating the conduit and/or heating the injection port.
15. The sample analysis system of claim 12 , further comprising an arrangement for removing the condensed solvent from an interior of the conduit.
16. The sample analysis system of claim 12 , wherein the conduit includes one or more changes in cross section.
17. The sample analysis system of claim 12 , further comprising a controller.
18. The sample analysis system of claim 12 , further comprising an arrangement for detecting a temperature of the conduit or for detecting a temperature of the injection port or for detecting a temperature of both the conduit and the injection port.
19. The sample analysis system of claim 12 , wherein the conduit is configured to condense solvent vapors on inner conduit surfaces.
20. A sample analysis system, comprising:
a thermal desorption tube or a cryo-trap;
a conduit for passing vapors from the thermal desorption tube or the cryotrap to a temporally-resolving separator,
wherein,
the conduit is configured to condense the solvent and maintain the analytes in the vapor phase.
21. The sample analysis system of claim 20 , wherein the system does not employ a secondary thermal desorption tube.
22. The sample analysis system of claim 20 , further comprising a mass spectrometry or an optical spectrometry analyzer.
23. The sample analysis method of claim 8 , wherein the sample is not introduced via an injection port.
24. The sample analysis system of claim 20 , wherein the system does not include an injection port.