초록 ▼

This disclosure is concerned with method and apparatus for vaporizing liquid solutions in order to detect, quantitate, and/or determine physical or chemical properties of samples present in liquid solution. Mixtures may be separated by an on-line liquid chromatographic column and the methods used fo

This disclosure is concerned with method and apparatus for vaporizing liquid solutions in order to detect, quantitate, and/or determine physical or chemical properties of samples present in liquid solution. Mixtures may be separated by an on-line liquid chromatographic column and the methods used for detection, quantitation, identification, and/or determination of chemical and physical properties include mass spectrometry, photoionization, flame ionization, electron capture, optical photometry, including UV, visible, and IR regions of the spectrum, light scattering, light emission, atomic absorption, and any other technique suitable for detecting or analyzing molecules or particles in a gaseous or vacuum environment. The method and apparatus involves controlled partial vaporization of the solution. Methods are disclosed for controlling the degree of partial vaporization and the temperature at which this vaporization occurs, and for maintaining this degree of vaporization essentially constant even though the solvent flow rate and/or composition may vary in either a controlled or an uncontrolled fashion. This “thermospray”method and apparatus allows the solvent to be substantially vaporized to produce a supersonic free jet containing a fraction of unvaporized solvent as liquid droplets entrained in the jet. Solutes which are less volatile than the solvent are preferentially contained in the droplets. Methods are disclosed for controlling the temperature at which the process occurs in order to prevent unwanted chemical modification of the solutes (for example, pyrolysis) and to prevent premature vaporization of the solutes.

대표청구항 ▼

A thermospray device for vaporizing a liquid sample into an ion vapor containing large molecules of interest for analysis, said device comprising: (a) a metal capillary tube for receiving said sample, said tube defining a nozzle portion at one end thereof, (b) heating means for heating said capillar

A thermospray device for vaporizing a liquid sample into an ion vapor containing large molecules of interest for analysis, said device comprising: (a) a metal capillary tube for receiving said sample, said tube defining a nozzle portion at one end thereof, (b) heating means for heating said capillary tube to vaporize a predetermined fraction of the sample passing therethrough, (c) a control means for controlling the temperature of the sample within the capillary and to maintain from 1% to 35% of the sample in liquid form as it is ejected from the nozzle as a particle beam of minute particles entrained in an intense vapor jet, said control means including a means for measuring the temperature of the liquid sample in the capillary tube, said means for measuring including a temperature sensor mounted in thermal contact with the capillary tube within a first third of a predetermined length heated by said heating means, and (d) a means for separating the large molecules from said vapor jet as said molecules are selected for further analysis.