Vacuum extractor incorporating a condenser column
AssigneeThe United States of American as represented by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
InventorMichael H. Hiatt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for vacuum distillation of samples suspected of containing pollutants are disclosed. The vacuum distillation apparatus contains a condenser for separating water and/or another common interfering contaminant. The distilled pollutants are assayed using a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer.
Claims16
An apparatus comprising a sample chamber, a sole condensing means for selectively condensing distillate, a cryotrap for sample focussing, a vacuum pump, a source of inert gas, a gaseous compound detection means and valve means for connecting said condenser column, said vacuum pump, said source of inert gas, said cryotrap and said gaseous compound detection means;
- said sole condensing means consisting essentially of a single condenser column having temperature regulation means for continually sensing, adjusting and maintaining the temperature of the condenser column,
- said valve means having at least two positions, a loading position and an injection position,
- wherein when said valve means is in the loading position, said sample chamber is fluidly connected to a first end of said condenser column, a second end of said condenser column is fluidly connected to said cryotrap, and said cryotrap is fluidly connected to said vacuum pump,
- wherein when said valve means is in the injection position, said source of inert gas is fluidly connected to said cryotrap and said cryotrap is fluidly connected to said gaseous compound detection means, while said sample chamber is fluidly connected to the first end of said condenser column, and the second end of said condenser column is fluidly connected to said vacuum pump without being fluidly connected to said cryotrap,
- wherein when said valve means is in said loading position such that said vacuum pump is fluidly connected to the cryotrap, said vacuum pump causes a vacuum distillation of compounds in a sample in said sample chamber, said compounds being trapped by said cryotrap, and
- wherein when said valve means is in said injection position, said compounds in said cryotrap are analyzed by said gaseous compound detection means.
In an apparatus with a sample chamber, a sole condensing means for selectively condensing distillate, a cryotrap for sample focussing, a vacuum pump, a valve means and a gaseous compound detection means, wherein the sample container is fluidly connected to the sole condensing means which is in turn fluidly connected to the cryotrap which is in turn is fluidly connected to a vacuum pump when said valve means is in a first position and the cryotrap is fluidly connected to said gaseous compound detection means when said valve means is in a second position, the improvement wherein the sole condensing means consists essentially of a single condenser column located between the sample chamber and the cryotrap, said condenser column including temperature regulation means for continually sensing and adjusting the temperature of the condenser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.