A sample analysis method includes directing a sample that contains one or more SVOC components to a GC column to temporally separate components present in the sample. Output gas from the GC column is expanded into a sample cell. The sample cell is held at a temperature and pressure that are lower than the temperature and pressure at an outlet of the GC column. The volume of the sample cell is sufficiently large for maintaining the one or more SVOC components in a gaseous phase. Infrared spectra of the components in the sample cell are obtained using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometry system.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a terpene-rich sample is prepared for terpene analysis using liquid chromatography via an extraction method that takes little time, uses minimal external equipment, and permits direct injection of extracted terpenes into a liquid chromatography instrument for analysis. An embodiment of the invention involves preparing a terpene-containing sample for analysis by liquid chromatography by liquid extraction; heating the liquid extract in a vial that contains a filter medium or solvent; collecting the terpenes in the medium by the vapor pressure forced through the filter from heating; and eluting the collected terpenes into a vial or directly into a chromatography injector.

A method for determining asphaltene stability in a hydrocarbon-containing material having solvated asphaltenes therein is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, it involves the steps of: (a) precipitating an amount of the asphaltenes from a liquid sample of the hydrocarbon-containing material with an alkane mobile phase solvent in a column; (b) dissolving a first amount and a second amount of the precipitated asphaltenes by changing the alkane mobile phase solvent to a final mobile phase solvent having a solubility parameter that is higher than the alkane mobile phase solvent; (c) monitoring the concentration of eluted fractions from the column; (d) creating a solubility profile of the dissolved asphaltenes in the hydrocarbon-containing material; and (e) determining one or more asphaltene stability parameters of the hydrocarbon-containing material.

In various aspects provided are purification media and containers for dispensing a purified liquid are provided herein where a high surface area-to-volume chemically interactive purification media positioned at the outlet of a container that purifies the liquid as it is dispensed and/or extracted.

We disclose a microfabricated device for both extracting and preconcentrating samples for gas chromatography analysis. The device includes a conduit with at least two sections and multiple ports which may be connected to multiple gas chromatography columns. The inner surface of the conduit may be coated with multiple sorbents which bind volatile analytes with different affinities. The sections of the conduit may be divided by a thermal barrier which inhibits heat transfer between sections. Consequently, each section may be independently heated to encourage desorption of volatile analytes. The disclosed device separates and concentrates volatile analytes into different pools according to their chemical and physical properties before they enter a gas chromatography column that is optimized for that pool. The device reduces the amount of heat and time needed to perform gas chromatography analysis as well as avoids the need for purified gas sources typically used for the moving phase.

A device is provided. The device comprises a casing comprising an interior, a first opening, and a second opening; and a porous carrier comprising a sample-receiving zone and a target analyte-binding zone. The porous carrier defines a first fluid pathway that extends from the sample-receiving zone to the target analyte-binding zone. At least portion of the porous carrier is disposed in the interior of the casing. A second fluid pathway comprising a central axis extends through the casing from the first opening and the second opening, the second fluid pathway intersecting the porous carrier at the target analyte-binding zone. The central axis is oriented orthogonally with respect to the porous carrier. Methods of using the device to detect a target analyte are also provided.

The present invention is generally related to the analysis of chemical compositions of hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon blends. This method applies specifically to the problem of analyzing extremely complex hydrocarbon-containing mixtures when the number and diversity of molecules makes it impossible to realistically identify and quantify them individually in a reasonable timeframe and cost. The advantage to this method over prior art is the ability to separate and identify chemical constituents and solvent fractions based on their solvent-solubility characteristics, their high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) adsorption and desorption behaviors, and their interactions with stationary phases; and subsequently identify and quantify them at least partially using various combinations of non-destructive HPLC, destructive HPLC, and stand-alone detectors presently not routinely used for HPLC but reconfigured to obtain spectra on the fly. This analytical method is especially useful for, but not limited to, asphalt binders and asphalt binder blends, modified asphalts, asphalt modifiers, asphalt additives, polymer-modified asphalts, asphalts containing rejuvenators and softening agents, asphalts containing recycled products, aged asphalts, and air-blown asphalts, which may contain wide varieties of different types of additives and chemistries, and forensic applications, and environmental pollutant identification.

A vial cap for removing a matrix component from a liquid sample is described. The vial cap includes a cap body, an inlet portion, and an outlet portion. The cap body is configured to have a slidable gas and liquid seal with a side wall of a sample vial. The inlet portion includes a counterbore section that holds a filter plug. The filter plug includes a polyethylene resin and a material selected from the group consisting of an ion exchange material and a reversed-phase material. The vial cap is adapted for solid phase extraction for use in an autosampler with a plurality of sample vials.

A pretreatment method for analyzing dioxin compounds and an analytical method using the same, in which a column packed with polymer beads that are capable of selectively adsorbing dioxin compounds is used in a purification step during pretreatment, thereby remarkably reducing a time required for pretreatment and improving a recovery rate of an internal standard for purification, are provided.

A manually actuated chromatography device comprising a chamber for receiving a liquid sample, a pump with a metering valve, and a chromatography element, wherein the pump moves a predetermined volume of liquid from the sample chamber to the chromatography element.