A thermal desorption tube collection system uses a thermoelectric cooler to collect and concentrate gas samples. In some modes, the operation of the cooler is reversed to flow the concentrated sample directly into a separator such as a gas chromatography system. Components resolved in time by a thermal desorption separator accumulate in a sample cell and are analyzed by electromagnetic radiation-based spectroscopic techniques. Also presented are methods for analyzing biogas samples.

A thermal modulator for gas chromatography includes an analytical capillary to be traversed by analytes and that is interposed between two gas chromatographic columns; a cooling system having a cold zone, a support element associated with the cold zone and supporting a portion of the analytical capillary at a corresponding or slightly higher temperature than the cold zone, so as to define a trapping portion of the analytes; a control system, which selectively controls the emission of pulsed current to electrically conductive elements associated with the analytical capillary to heat the trapping portion and cause the release or desorption of previously immobilized analytes; and a heating system of a portion of the analytical capillary, positioned outside of the support element and upstream of the support element, so as to generate a rapid expansion of the gas contained in the portion and facilitate the advancement of the released or desorbed analytes.

Methods for identifying carbon derived from natural sources in a confectionary product are presented. Methods include separating, extracting and carbon dating components of a confectionary product, e.g., chewing gum or chewing gum base.

Provided herein is a preprocessing apparatus for gas analysis that enables preprocessing for gas analysis to be performed without requiring a cryogen. A preprocessing apparatus for gas analysis 101 mainly includes a gas flow path 103, a cooling portion 105, and a plurality of valves V101 to V105 that serve as gas flow path connection changing means for changing the gas flow path. The cooling portion 105 is operable to cool the collecting portion 113, and is constituted from a heat conductor 121, a cooling device 127, and a sealed structure 129. The cooling device 127 can cooled a contact cooling section 131 to an extremely low temperature by utilizing electrical energy. The cooling device 127 is used to bring the collecting portion 113 to a first temperature at which the target gas to be analyzed is solidified, and to thereafter bring the collecting portion 113 to a second temperature at which only the target gas to be analyzed is gasified. By performing such processes, the target gas to be analyzed can be extracted by removing gases of impurities from a mixed gas.

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to gaseous mercury detection systems, calibration systems, and related methods. The gaseous mercury detection systems are configured to detect gas-phase mercury-compounds present in ambient air. For example, the gaseous mercury detection systems collect gas-phase mercury-compounds from ambient air and release the gas-phase mercury-compounds at concentrations capable of being measured by a gas-chromatography mass spectrometer without heating the gas-phase mercury-compounds above a decomposition temperature of at least one gaseous mercury compound that may present in the mercury-containing gas. The calibration systems are configured to determine an accuracy of or calibrate a gaseous mercury detection system. The disclosed calibration systems may be integrated with or distinct from the gaseous mercury detection systems disclosed herein.

A thermostat arrangement for a sample separation device for separating a fluidic sample includes a separation unit thermostat unit for adjusting a temperature of a separation unit for separating the fluidic sample in a mobile phase, a sample handling unit thermostat unit for adjusting the temperature of a sample handling unit for handling the fluidic sample, and a thermal coupling unit for thermally coupling the separation unit thermostat unit with the sample handling unit thermostat unit.

A cooling unit (cryo-focus unit) cools breath introduced into a carrier gas from a sample introduction unit, to trap volatile components in the breath into a column. A heater heats the volatile components trapped in the column to desorb the volatile components. Amass spectrometry (MS) section detects the volatile components desorbed by the heater and separated in a process of passing through the column. The breath introduced into the carrier gas from the sample introduction unit is cooled by the cooling unit, whereby more volatile components in the breath are trapped, and those volatile components can be desorbed, and can be detected by the MS section.

A thermal desorption tube collection system uses a thermoelectric cooler to collect and concentrate gas samples. In some modes, the operation of the cooler is reversed to flow the concentrated sample directly into a separator such as a gas chromatography system. Components resolved in time by a thermal desorption separator accumulate in a sample cell and are analyzed by electromagnetic radiation-based spectroscopic techniques. Also presented are methods for analyzing biogas samples.

A gas chromatograph includes: a gas chromatograph body having an interior space thermally isolated from an outside; at least one sample vaporization unit mounted on an upper portion of the gas chromatograph body, the sample vaporization unit having a housing provided therein with a heating space surrounded by a heater and being configured to vaporize a sample injected into the heating space by heat from the heater and introduce the vaporized sample into the gas chromatograph body; and at least one cooling fan mounted on the gas chromatograph body to correspond to the at least one sample vaporization unit to blow cooling air toward the least one sample vaporization unit. A heat insulating member is interposed between the gas chromatograph body and the at least one cooling fan to thermally isolate the at least one cooling fan from the gas chromatograph body.

A method for determining corrosion inhibitor residual concentration of a hydrocarbon sample is described. The hydrocarbon sample is mixed with a standard solution to form a first mixture. The standard solution includes a corrosion inhibitor in a known concentration. The first mixture is mixed with an aqueous saline solution to form a second mixture. The aqueous saline solution includes about 1% salt concentration or greater. The second mixture is agitated for about 1 hour or longer and at a temperature of about 50 degrees Celsius (? C.) or greater. After agitation, a hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase of the second mixture are allowed to separate. A portion of the aqueous phase is obtained. The portion of the aqueous phase is analyzed to determine a corrosion inhibitor residual concentration of the hydrocarbon sample.