Gas chromatography systems.

摘要

A gas chromatography system having a column comprising a precolumn and an analytical and also having a source of backflush pressure applied at the intersection of the precolumn and the analytical column. The split column arrangement enables the backflushing of high boiling point components while enabling the simultaneous analysis of lower boiling point components located in the analytical column upon the application of backflush pressure. This greatly reduces the cycle time of a chromatography system as it is unnecessary to backflush the much more slowly eluting, high boiling point components through the entire length of column and there is no need to delay backflushing until completion of analysis of the components of interest. In this manner, backflushing occurs simultaneously with analysis for a first reduction of cycle time, and the high boiling point components are backflushed through a reduced length of column for a second reduction of cycle time of the chromatography system. A thermal focusing chamber enables the trapping of the sample at the sample tube end closest to the precolumn enabling a much more concentrated sample which yields much broader peaks in the chromatogram. <IMAGE>