A pre-heater assembly (90) for pre-heating a fluid, in particular in a fluid separation apparatus (10), wherein the pre-heater assembly (90) comprises a capillary (200) having a lumen and being configured for conducting the fluid, and a thermal coupling body (202) contacting at least part of the capillary (200), having a value of the thermal conductivity in a range between 8 W/(m K) and 100 W/(m K) and being arrangable so that heat generated by a heat source (80) is supplied to the capillary (200) via at least part of the thermal coupling body (202).

A system for performing gas chromatography analyses in accordance with the present disclosure includes an analytical column and a column oven. The analytical column has an inlet portion coupled to an injector for receiving a material sample and an outlet portion coupled to a detector. The analytical column is adapted to direct the material sample from the injector to the detector. The column oven is adapted to heat the analytical column for separating constituent components of the material sample for detection by the detector.

A method of performing a chromatographic separation includes generating a spatial temperature gradient along a length of a chromatographic column in a liquid chromatography system. A sample is injected into a flow of a mobile phase to the column and a flow of a mobile phase having a composition gradient is provided to the column after the sample is received at the column. The spatial temperature gradient is moved along the length of the column from the column inlet to the column outlet during the time that the composition gradient traverses the column. This coordination of the composition gradient with the movement of the spatial thermal gradient yields a significant increase in peak capacity per unit time compared with conventional separation techniques performed in a conventional isothermal column environment.

A system for performing gas chromatography analyzes in accordance with the present disclosure includes an analytical column and a column oven. The analytical column has an inlet portion coupled to an injector for receiving a material sample and an outlet portion coupled to a detector. The analytical column is adapted to direct the material sample from the injector to the detector. The column oven is adapted to heat the analytical column for separating constituent components of the material sample for detection by the detector.

A gas chromatography device includes a sample injection part, a detector, a separation column, and a transfer line connecting between the sample injection part and the separation column and between the sample injection part and the detector. Furthermore, a column temperature adjustment part for adjusting the temperature of the separation column, and a line temperature adjustment part for adjusting the temperature of the transfer line are provided. The line temperature adjustment part is structured to include a heat block which includes a heating element and which is in contact with the transfer line from one side, and a holding member which presses the transfer line toward the heat block side by being in contact from the other side, and to sandwich the transfer line by the heat block and the holding member.

A fluidic block has a thermally conductive body with a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The body has a cutout portion formed therein between the first and second ends. The cutout portion partitions the body into a first region, a second region, and a thin region between the first and second regions. The cutout portion produces a thermal break between the first and second regions. The thermal break operates to guide a heat flow between the first and second regions through the thin region. A thermally conductive chromatography tube extends through the first, second, and thin regions from the first end to the second end of the body. The tube is in thermal communication with the body. A section of the tube may run in a transverse direction across the body in the thin region of the body.

Liquid chromatography systems described herein are smaller in size and with a reduced extra-column volume due to direct connection of a liquid chromatography column and/or detector to an injector valve and due to eliminating the need for a column oven by relying on heating of the liquid chromatography column and detector by a preheater. The size of the liquid chromatography systems are enough that the liquid chromatography systems may be deployed adjacent to automated sample preparation robotics, adjacent to a process stream, or adjacent to the inlet of a mass spectrometer. In addition, the extra-column volume of the liquid chromatography systems may be reduced by eliminating many of the connection tubes and by situating components of the liquid chromatography system in closer proximity.

Liquid chromatography systems described herein are smaller in size and with a reduced extra-column volume due to direct connection of a liquid chromatography column and/or detector to an injector valve and due to eliminating the need for a column oven by relying on heating of the liquid chromatography column and detector by a preheater. The size of the liquid chromatography systems are enough that the liquid chromatography systems may be deployed adjacent to automated sample preparation robotics, adjacent to a process stream, or adjacent to the inlet of a mass spectrometer. In addition, the extra-column volume of the liquid chromatography systems may be reduced by eliminating many of the connection tubes and by situating components of the liquid chromatography system in closer proximity.

An apparatus for heating a flowing fluid includes a tubing assembly, a heater block made of thermally conductive material, and a heater cartridge in thermal communication with the heater block. The heater cartridge is configured to provide heat to the heater block for transfer to fluid flowing through the tubing assembly. The apparatus also includes circuitry in electrical communication with the heater cartridge to control a temperature of the heater block by controlling operation of the heater cartridge. The heater block is die-cast about the tubing assembly.

Exemplary embodiments eliminate the need for column ovens in serial column chromatography arrangements and systems by using insulated sleeves. The insulated sleeves may encase individual chromatography columns or clusters of chromatography columns. The use of the insulated sleeves allows the chromatography columns to be positioned in close proximity to each other. This may decrease the overall size of a serial column chromatography arrangement and may reduce costs by not requiring the column ovens.