Determination of gaseous affinity

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR MEASURING A PROPERTY OF A MATERIAL BY CHOROMATOGRAPHY, COMPRISING: INTRODUCTING THE MATERIAL IN FLOWABLE FORM INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF A SORPTION COLUMN; PASSING A GAS MIXTURE COMPRISING A COMPONENT TO BE SELECTIVELY ADSORBED BY SAID FLOWABLE MATERIAL, THRU A FIRST MEASUREMENT DEVICE ADAPTED TO INDICATE THE CONCENTRATION THEREIN OF SAID ABSORBABLE COMPONENT; INTRODUCING SAID GAS MIXTURE INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SORPTION COLUMN IN COUNTERCURRENT FLOW RATE ADAPTED DOWNWARDLY FLOWING MATERIAL AT A FLOW RATE ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN A MOVING BED THEREIN; PASSING THE GASEOUS EFFLUENT FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ZONE THRU A SECOND MEASUREMENT DEVICE SIMILARLY ADAPTED TO INDICATE THE NEW CONCENTRATION OF SAID ADSORBABLE COMPONENT; COMPARING THE INDICATED MEASUREMENTS ON SAID DEVICES, THE DIFFECENCE BEING REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROPERTY OF SAID MATERIAL TO BE DETERMINED; AND WITHDRAWING ACCUMULATING FLOWABLE MATERIAL FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR MEASURING A PROPERTY OF A MATERIAL BY CHOROMATOGRAPHY, COMPRISING: INTRODUCTING THE MATERIAL IN FLOWABLE FORM INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF A SORPTION COLUMN; PASSING A GAS MIXTURE COMPRISING A COMPONENT TO BE SELECTIVELY ADSORBED BY SAID FLOWABLE MATERIAL, THRU A FIRST MEASUREMENT DEVICE ADAPTED TO INDICATE THE CONCENTRATION THEREIN OF SAID ABSORBABLE COMPONENT; INTRODUCING SAID GAS MIXTURE INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SORPTION COLUMN IN COUNTERCURRENT FLOW RATE ADAPTED DOWNWARDLY FLOWING MATERIAL AT A FLOW RATE ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN A MOVING BED THEREIN; PASSING THE GASEOUS EFFLUENT FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ZONE THRU A SECOND MEASUREMENT DEVICE SIMILARLY ADAPTED TO INDICATE THE NEW CONCENTRATION OF SAID ADSORBABLE COMPONENT; COMPARING THE INDICATED MEASUREMENTS ON SAID DEVICES, THE DIFFECENCE BEING REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROPERTY OF SAID MATERIAL TO BE DETERMINED; AND WITHDRAWING ACCUMULATING FLOWABLE MATERIAL FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN.

Claim 3

A METHOD FOR MEASURING THE OXYGEN AFFINITY OF A POLYMER BY VAPOR PHASE CHROMATOGRAPHY, COMPRISING: INTRODUCING PARTICULATE POLYMER INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF A COLUMN; PERIODICALLY INTRODUCING A SLUG OF GAS MIXTURE CONTAINING A FREE-OXYGEN COMPONENT INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN; PASSING AN INERT CARRIED GAS THROUGH A DETECTOR TO DETERMINE A REFERENCE STANDARD; CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING SAID INERT CARRIED GAS INTO SAID LOWER PORTION IN COUNTERCURRENT FLOW WITH THE DOWNWARDLY FLOWING POLYMER AT A FLOW RATE ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN A MOVING BED THEREIN; PASSING THE GASEOUS EFFLUENT FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ZONE THROUGH A COMPONENT PEAK DETECTOR TO DETERMINE THE RELATIVE RETENTION TIMES OF SAID GAS MIXTURE COMPONENTS; MEASURING THE OXYGEN AFFINITY OF SAID POLYMER FROM THE FOREGOING DETERMINATIONS; AND WITHDRAWING ACCUMMULATING PARTICULATE POLYMER FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN.

Claim 4

A METHOD FOR MEASURING THE OXYGEN AFFINITY OF A POLYMER BY VAPOR PHASE CHROMATOGRAPHY, COMPRISING: INTRODUCING PARTICULATE POLYMER INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF A COLUMN; PERIODICALLY INTRODUCING A SLUG OF GAS MIXTURE CONTAINING A FREE-OXYGEN COMPONENT INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN; PASSING AN INERT CARRIED GAS THROUGH A DETECTOR TO DETERMINE A REFERENCE STANDARD; CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING SAID INERT CARRIED GAS INTO SAID LOWER PORTION IN COUNTERCURRENT FLOW WITH THE DOWNWARDLY FLOWING POLYMER AT A FLOW RATE ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN A MOVING BED THEREIN; PASSING THE GASEOUS EFFLUENT FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ZONE THROUGH A COMPONENT PEAK DETECTOR TO DETERMINE THE RELATIVE RETENTION TIMES OF SAID GAS MIXTURE COMPONENTS; MEASURING THE OXYGEN AFFINITY OF SAID POLYMER FROM THE FOREGOING DETERMINATIONS; AND WITHDRAWING ACCUMMULATING PARTICULATE POLYMER FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN.