Relating to three-dimensional chromatographic systems

Claim 2

A process as claimed in claim 2 which comprises preparing a substantially three-dimensionally uniformly porous disc having a circular periphery and comprising the retarding phase and feeding the forwarding phase from the central region of such disc radially towards the periphery.

Claim 3

A process as claimed in claim 3 which comprises removing from said central region an annular section of said disc, impregnating the annular section with a mixture to be separated, returning the impregnated section to its original position in the disc and feeding the forwarding phase from the axial region of the annular section radially through the latter and into and through the disc.

Claim 4

A process as claimed in claim 1 which comprises subdividing longitudinally a chromatographic column packing into a plurality of consecutive sections of substantially circular peripheral cross-sections and feeding the forwarding phase successively through said sections by introducing the forwarding phase in the central region of each section and feeding the forwarding phase radially towards the periphery of the section and from there immediately into the central region of the next section.

Claim 5

A process as claimed in claim 5 which comprises maintaining different separating conditions in consecutive sections in terms of the combination of parameters consisting of the flow velocity, temperature, and characteristics of the two phases.

Claim 6

A process as claimed in claim 1 which comprises feeding the forwarding phase along a path defined by flow lines radiating three-dimensionally substantially from a pointlike origin.

Claim 7

A process as claimed in claim 1 which comprises injecting additional forwarding phase between successive sections of increasing cross-sectional area in the direction of flow.

Claim 8

A process as claimed in claim 1 which comprises confining a substantially uniformly porous bed having essentially the texture of an open-pore foam comprising the retarding phase in a space having the shape of a body of rotation, continuously introducing into the bed a mixture to be separated at a locality maintained travelling at a constant rate along a path of constant distance from the axis of the body of rotation, feeding forwarding phase at a constant rate radially uniformly from the central region of the body of rotation towards its periphery and collecting tractions at localities travelling around the periphery at the same angular velocity as that of the locality of introduction of the mixture.

Claim 9

The process according to claim 1 wherein the profile straightening effects are produced by exposing the retarding phase on the pore surfaces of a porous mass of which the porosity characteristics are statistically uniform at least across said flow path.

Claim 10

The process according to claim 10 wherein the porous mass has essentially the texture of an open-pore foam.

Claim 11

The process according to claim 1 wherein the profile straightening effects are produced by feeding the forwarding phase through the porous mass under convective flow conditions.

Claim 12

The process according to claim 1 wherein the profile straightening effects are produced by feeding the forwarding phase alternatingly through sections of the porous mass and open connecting passages wherein transverse mixing of the forwarding phase is brought about.

Claim 13

The process according to claim 13 which comprises feeding the forwarding phase radially from the central regions of the sections outwards towards the outer regions of the sections and feeding the forwarding phase from said outer regions through the open passages to the central regions of the respective next following sections.

Claim 14

The process aCcording to claim 14 wherein successive sections are of increasing average cross-sectional area, measured transverse to the direction of feeding through the sections.

Claim 15

The process according to claim 15 wherein an additional stream of forwarding phase is fed into at least one of said open passages between successive sections of increasing average cross-sectional area.

Claim 16

The process according to claim 16 wherein the composition of the additional stream differs from the initial composition of the forwarding phase to which it is added.

Claim 17

A process as claimed in claim 1 which comprises confining the porous mass in an essentially frustoconical space and feeding the forwarding phase in the direction of increasing cross-section of the space.

Claim 18

A process as claimed in claim 1 which comprises maintaining a bed of powder, the surface of the particles of which comprises the retarding phase in the said space of which the axis is vertical and the apex is downwardly directed and feeding the forwarding phase through the powder at a rate adjusted to maintain the powder in a quiescent essentially uniform expanded condition essentially corresponding to the physically defined metastable condition of loosest packing and simultaneously developing the chromatogram in said bed.

Claim 19

A process as claimed in claim 1 which comprises confining the porous mass in a space bounded by outlines of a sphere and feeding the forwarding phase radially uniformly through the porous mass from the central region of the sphere.

Claim 20

A chromatographic separating process involving differentiated distribution of the components of a mixture between a retarding phase and a forwarding phase, the latter phase flowing relative to the former phase carried out with the retarding phase exposed to the forwarding phase on the pore surfaces of a porous mass pervious to the forwarding phase and which comprises : a. removing from said porous mass a section; b. impregnating the section with the mixture; c. returning the impregnated section to its original position relative to the remainder of the porous mass; d. feeding the forwarding phase through the section and from there into and through said remainder of the porous mass.

Claim 21

A process according to claim 21 wherein the porous mass is annular, having circular outlines, said section also being annular and being removed from the central region of the porous mass for said impregnating and returned to that region whereafter said feeding takes place from the axial region of the section radially through the latter and into and through the porous mass.

Claim 22

A chromatographic apparatus which comprises an inlet region for a chromatographic forwarding phase, an inlet for material to be separated, an outlet region, a space intermediate between said inlet and outlet regions defined by three dimensions of substantial magnitude filled with a three dimensionally interleadingly porous separating medium comprising a retarding phase, there being a cross-sectional increase in said space from the inlet region to the outlet region, measured transverse to the direction of flow of the forwarding phase at least predominating in the sum total of those parts of the apparatus occupied by the retarding phase, and means for smoothing flow profile effects of the forwarding phase.

Claim 23

An apparatus as claimed in claim 23 in the form of a packed chromatographic column divided by transverse baffles into packed sections, said baffles defining a path of flow for the forwarding phase through the packing containing the retarding phase with a nett increase in cross-sectional area of the path.

Claim 24

An apparatus as claimed in claim 24 comprising in repeated succession an annular baffle extending from the column walls towards a central aperture representing the inlet for forwarding phase into a section of packing following said annular baffle, followed in turn by a continuous baffle of smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the column providing a peripheral oUtlet between the uninterrupted baffle on the column wall leading from said section into an open gap followed by the next annular baffle of the succession.

Claim 25

An apparatus as claimed in claim 25 in which the sections of packing are themselves annular with an inner periphery substantially aligned with the inner periphery of the annular baffle adjoining the section at one end and an outer periphery substantially aligned with the outer periphery of the uninterrupted baffle adjoining the section at the other side.

Claim 26

An apparatus as claimed in claim 23 in which the said cross-sectional increase is in two dimensions.

Claim 27

An apparatus as claimed in claim 23 in which said separating medium comprising the retarding phase is present in the form of an integral coherent body having a statistically uniform pore structure.

Claim 28

An apparatus as claimed in claim 23 wherein the means for smoothing flow profile effects are provided by said porous separating medium having essentially the texture of an open-pore foam of essentially uniform porosity characteristics.

Claim 29

An apparatus as claimed in claim 29 wherein the porous separating medium comprises a polymeric material.

Claim 30

An apparatus as claimed in claim 23 comprising a three-dimensionally substantially uniformly porous bed, having essentially the texture of an open-pore foam comprising a retarding phase sandwiched between a pair of opposite walls and the bed between said walls having the shape of a body of rotation, a central inlet chamber between the walls coaxial with the axis of the body of rotation and having outlines essentially equidistant from the outlines between said walls of the body of rotation and peripheral outlet means around essentially the entire outer periphery of the body of rotation between said walls.

Claim 31

An apparatus as claimed in claim 31 in which the inlet chamber is adjoined by an impregnating chamber and which further comprises an annular porous sampling device adapted to retain a sample and concentric about the axis of the body of rotation, reciprocally movable between the impregnating chamber and the inlet chamber, an inlet passage for sample material leading into the impregnating chamber, an inlet passage for forwarding phase communicating with the central region of the inlet chamber and means operable to impact said reciprocal movement to the sampling device.

Claim 32

An apparatus as claimed in claim 31 adapted for continuous chromatography comprising: a sample inlet inside the inlet chamber in communication with and abutting against a portion of the inner periphery of the body of rotation and rotatable relative thereto about its axis; at least one fraction cutter associated with the peripheral outlet means adapted to receive the eluate from a limited portion of the outer periphery of the body of rotation and rotatable relative thereto about its axis in synchronism with the rotary movement between the sample inlet and the body of rotation; and means for bringing about said rotating movement.

Claim 33

An inlet for a chromatographic apparatus which comprises : a. an inlet chamber; b. an impregnating chamber adjoining the inlet chamber; c. a porous sampling device comprising a retarding phase adapted to retain a sample to be separated by impregnation, reciprocally movable between the inlet chamber and the impregnating chamber; d. an inlet passage for sample material leading into the impregnating chamber; e. an inlet passage for forwarding phase leading into the inlet chamber, positioned to direct the forwarding phase through a space reserved for the sampling device inside the inlet chamber and f. means operable to impart reciprocal movement to the sampling device between the inlet chamber and the impregnating chamber.

Claim 34

In a chromatographic apparatus having inlet and outlet means the improvement of a chromatographic column comprising : a. a plurality of annular axially aligned sections of column packing material, each bordered at oppoSite ends by one baffle; b. one baffle being annular and extending from the walls of the column towards a central aperture aligned with the inner periphery of the adjoining annular section; c. the other baffle being continuous, in the region thereof adjoining the annular section, but terminating in peripheral passage means adjoining the column walls; d. a peripheral gap between each annular section and said column walls communicating with the adjoining passage means; and e. an open gap between the baffles bordering successive annular sections and forming an open passage from the peripheral gap surrounding one of said successive annular sections to the inner periphery of the next following annular section.

Claim 35

A chromatographic apparatus comprising a suitable porous packing comprising a retarding phase confined in an annular space surrounding a central inlet chamber and outlet means on the outer periphery of the annular space, wherein the inlet chamber is adjoined by an impregnating chamber and which further comprises an annular porous sampling device adapted to retain a sample and concentric about the axis of the body of rotation, reciprocally movable between the impregnating chamber and the inlet chamber, an inlet passage for sample material leading into the impregnating chamber, an inlet passage for forwarding phase communicating with the central region of the inlet chamber and means operable to impart said reciprocal movement to the sampling device.

Claim 36

In a chromatographic apparatus having inlet and outlet means, the improvement of a chromatographic column having: a. successive open central flow passages alternating with baffle formations across said flow passages; and b. at least one annular porous body having the texture of an open-pore foam surrounding at least one of said successive open central flow passages.