Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure are directed to methods and apparatuses used for extracting heavy rare gas. An example method includes passing inlet air through an airflow path of an apparatus, removing carbon dioxide and gaseous water from the inlet air, and cooling the inlet air to a threshold temperature while passing along the airflow path. The method further includes passing the cooled inlet air through an adsorption chamber of the apparatus to adsorb heavy rare gas from the cooled inlet air while the cooled inlet air is in a gaseous state, and extracting the heavy rare gas from the adsorption chamber.

Atomic force microscopy apparatus and method that enable observing charge generation transients with nanometer spatial resolution and nanosecond to picosecond time resolution, the timescale relevant for studying photo-generated charges in the world's highest efficiency photovoltaic films. The AFM apparatus includes an AFM, a light source for illumination of a sample operatively coupled to the AFM, a voltage source operatively coupled to the AFM, and a control circuitry operatively coupled to the light source and the voltage source. The AFM apparatus improves the time resolution and enables rapid acquisition of photocapacitance transients in a wide array of solar-energy-harvesting materials.

A field-flow fractionation device includes a separation channel, a carrier fluid supplier, a separation membrane, a waste liquid chamber, a cross-flow flow rate adjuster, and a carrier fluid adder. The carrier fluid adder is configured to add, to a flow of a carrier fluid having passed through the separation membrane, a flow of another carrier fluid at a carrier fluid adding position set on an upstream side of the cross-flow flow rate adjuster so that the flow rate of the carrier fluid flowing into the cross-flow flow rate adjuster is larger than the flow rate of the carrier fluid having passed through the separation membrane.

Provided is a simulation model sample for evaluation of heat treatment including a porous water absorbing material that is flexible and deformable; and a container that is configured to be able to contain the porous water absorbing material having water absorbed therein. Also provided is a method for evaluating heat treatment using a simulation model sample including a step of allowing a flexible and deformable porous water absorbing material to absorb water, and the porous water absorbing material to be contained in a container, to produce a simulation model sample; and a step of subjecting the simulation model sample to heat treatment, while measuring a temperature inside the simulation model sample.

Provided is a simulation model sample for evaluation of heat treatment including a porous water absorbing material that is flexible and deformable; and a container that is configured to be able to contain the porous water absorbing material having water absorbed therein. Also provided is a method for evaluating heat treatment using a simulation model sample including a step of allowing a flexible and deformable porous water absorbing material to absorb water, and the porous water absorbing material to be contained in a container, to produce a simulation model sample; and a step of subjecting the simulation model sample to heat treatment, while measuring a temperature inside the simulation model sample.

While sample extraction device including a sorbent is coupled to a sample vial containing a sample, a vacuum is drawn through the sample extraction device to evaporate the volatile matrix of the sample and carry volatilized target compounds of the sample to the sorbent. Optionally, once the volatile matrix is evaporated, the sample vial is heated and/or the vacuum level is increased to transfer heavier target compounds to the sorbent. Multiple sampling devices can be extracted in parallel. The sample extraction device can be inserted into a thermal desorption device that directly couples the sample extraction device to a gas chromatograph. In some embodiments, the sample is desorbed and analyzed using gas chromatography or another suitable technique. The techniques disclosed herein are used for analysis of volatile organic compounds and semi-volatile organic compounds in water, food, beverages, soils, and other matrices.

An apparatus and method are provided to evaluate an amount of a biological sample in a specimen container. A fixture has a bottom surface configured to support a specimen container. A reference indicator is disposed at a predetermined height relative to the bottom surface. The reference indicator is configured to facilitate a visual comparison of the reference indicator with a height of a volume of a biological sample in the specimen container.

An apparatus and method are provided to evaluate an amount of a biological sample in a specimen container. A fixture has a bottom surface configured to support a specimen container. A reference indicator is disposed at a predetermined height relative to the bottom surface. The reference indicator is configured to facilitate a visual comparison of the reference indicator with a height of a volume of a biological sample in the specimen container.

Provided is a method for predicting particulate breakthrough time for a non-regenerative ion exchange resin device, in which a portion of water to be treated by a non-regenerative ion exchange resin device passes through each of the following that are disposed in parallel with the non-regenerative ion exchange resin device: a first path that includes a first particle counter; a second path that includes a first compact resin column, a second particle counter, a flow rate regulating valve, and a first flow meter; and a third path that includes a second compact resin column, a third particle counter, a flow rate regulating valve, and a second flow meter.

The present disclosure describes an apparatus, method, and system of regulating a detector flow of a field flow fractionator. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes (1) a detector flow meter, where the detector flow meter is configured to measure a detector flow from the field flow fractionator, (2) a channel pressure meter, where the channel pressure meter is configured to measure a channel pressure of the field flow fractionator, (3) at least one control valve, where an inlet of the at least one control valve is connected to an outlet of the channel pressure meter, (4) where the detector flow meter is configured to set a channel pressure set point of the channel pressure meter, and (5) where the channel pressure meter is configured to actuate the at least one control valve to maintain a channel pressure of the field flow fractionator at the channel pressure set point.