Adsorbent trap for gas chromatography

A gas chromatography system for the separation of components of a sample mixture, comprising:

• a trap in the form of a porous layer open tubular column having an adsorbent coating on the inside surface of said tube and said tube having an internal diameter less than 1 mm and a length of less than 50 cm,
• temperature control means for causing said trap to be selectively held at a trapping temperature above the freezing point of a number of said components or a higher desorption temperature,
• fluid circuit means for causing the sample mixture to be introduced into said trap while said trap is at said trapping temperature causing at least some of the components of the sample mixture to be adsorbed onto said adsorbent coating and for causing the adsorbed components to be desorbed from said trap when said trap is at said desorption temperature, said desorbed components of the sample mixture being at least partially eluted, said trap and said temperature control means causing the desorption of any of said adsorbed components of the sample mixture to be complete in less than 100 ms, and
• a detector for receiving said desorbed component of the sample mixture and providing an output related to the concentrations of said desorbed components of the sample mixture.

A gas chromatography system for the separation of components of a sample mixture, comprising:

• a trap in the form of a porous layer open tubular column having an adsorbent coating on the inside surface of said tube,
• an analytical separation column connected to said trap,
• temperature control means for causing said trap to be selectively held at a trapping temperature above the freezing point of a number of said components or a higher desorption temperature,
• fluid circuit means for causing the sample mixture to be introduced into said trap while said trap is at said trapping temperature causing at least some of the components of the sample mixture to be adsorbed onto said adsorbent coating and for causing said adsorbed components to be desorbed from said trap when said trap is at said desorption temperature, said desorbed components of the sample mixture being at least partially eluted, and
• said fluid circuit means for causing said sample mixture to be introduced into said trap in a flow direction into an end of said trap connected to said analytical separation column, and in an opposite flow direction out of said end as said components are desorbed, and
• a detector for receiving said component after said desorption and providing an output related to the concentrations of said components in the sample mixture.