| abstract |
A sample concentration device is provided in which a gaseous sample is concentrated by cooling a portion of a gas transfer line through which the sample is introduced into a detecting apparatus, such as a gas chromatograph or the like. The device is characterized by a cooling device for cooling a portion of the gas transfer line, which is housed in a constant temperature chamber, by spraying a coolant from a nozzle facing the portion of the gas transfer line, and by a gas flow device for creating a substantially dry gas flow through the nozzle to prevent the nozzle from becoming plugged with ice formed by freezing of moisture in the air inside the constant temperature chamber when the coolant spray is stopped. An outer jacket surrounding a portion of the gas transfer line which is subjected to cooling is also disclosed. Because the gas transfer line is locally cooled by spraying the coolant from the nozzle, the sample introduced from the sample injection port is condensed at the cooled portion, and further owing to the presence of the outer jacket, as a result, each component of the sample is shown by a single peak, as opposed to multiple peaks per component, when the components are detected by the detecting apparatus. |