Single-Phase Liquefied Gas Chromatography Mobile Phase
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid chromatography systems face issues with phase separation of binary mobile phases, leading to erratic and non-reproducible chromatography due to the formation of gas and liquid phases, which complicates the separation of analytes and increases costs with the need for high-pressure pumps and chillers in supercritical fluid chromatography.
Innovation Solution
A chromatography system utilizing a liquefied compressible gas, such as CO2, mixed with a miscible organic solvent to form a single-phase mobile phase, eliminating the need for high-pressure pumps and chillers by controlling pressure and flow rate with a programmable controller, ensuring stable separation performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If supercritical fluid chromatography is used to eliminate solvent waste, then environmental friendliness and analysis time are improved, but system complexity and cost increase due to high-pressure pumps and chillers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the complex high-pressure pump and chiller components from the chromatography system. By using atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature conditions instead of supercritical conditions, the system eliminates the need for these complex components while still achieving environmentally friendly chromatography with reduced solvent waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameters from supercritical conditions (high pressure and high temperature) to atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature. This parameter change allows the use of simple liquid mobile phases instead of supercritical fluids, thereby eliminating the need for complex high-pressure pumps and chillers while maintaining environmental benefits.
2Manufacturing precision
If binary mobile phase is used in chromatography, then separation performance is improved, but phase separation occurs leading to erratic and non-reproducible results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses homogeneous single-phase liquid mobile phases instead of binary mobile phases that can separate into gas and liquid phases. By maintaining a single liquid phase throughout the chromatography process, the system achieves both improved separation performance and reproducible, reliable results without phase separation issues.
3Ease of operation
If conventional liquid chromatography is used, then operational simplicity is maintained, but toxic solvent disposal costs increase and environmental friendliness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the mobile phase composition from conventional toxic organic solvents to environmentally friendly alternatives such as carbon dioxide and water-based mobile phases. This parameter change maintains operational simplicity while eliminating toxic waste disposal issues and improving environmental friendliness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides reliable scalability and environmentally friendly chromatographic separation with reduced solvent usage and costs, achieving consistent and efficient separation of analytes while minimizing the generation of toxic waste.
Implementation Method 1
A binary mobile phase comprised of a miscible single phase of liquid CO2 and organic solvent
Implementation Method 2
maintaining the modified liquid mobile phase in the miscible complete liquid state
Implementation Method 3
heating the modified liquid mobile phase containing the separated analytes to separate the liquified compressible gas from the liquid organic solvent containing the separated analytes
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid chromatography system and method utilizes a mobile phase comprising liquified compressible gas and miscible organic solvents. The compressible fluid may be carbon dioxide (CO2). Liquid CO2 tapped from an existing source is depressurized through a flow control metering station before adding solvent. The mobile phase flows through a sample vessel containing analytes and chromatography column for sample separation. A back pressure regulator maintains a set elution pressure in the chromatography column. CO2 advantageously remains in liquid phase for elution in the column, thereby avoiding two-phase conditions adversely affecting analyte resolution. An equilibration bypass flow loop may be provided to separate normal sample elution from initial CO2 flow equilibration, thereby allowing rapid exchange of samples with minimal downtime. System CO2 pressures less than 100 bar and room temperature may be used during the process, thereby obviating the need for high pressure pumps and chillers of supercritical fluid chromatography.