Abstract: An apparatus for separating almost all fine particles, including particles less than 10 microns in diameter, from a gas stream, which requires the input of only a small amount of water and which discharges a correspondingly small amount of particle-water slurry. The apparatus includes a vertical cylindrical chamber having a relatively wide upstream portion that gradually narrows in a transition portion into an elongated throat portion. A central core member extends axially along the throat portion and forms an elongated annular passage. A high velocity gas stream containing fine particles is generally tangentially introduced into the wide upstream portion of the conduit to provide a circulatory flow. Water is introduced through a plurality of parts in the transition portion downstream therefrom, to provide a thin layer of water along the outer walls of the throat.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for the isolation and purification of a solute prior to carrying the solute by means of a carrier gas into analytical instruments such as gas chromatographs. The apparatus is comprised of a serial differential trapping arrangement. The method provides for increasing the ratio of solute to carrier gas in a gaseous stream containing a carrier gas and a sample comprising solute. This is accomplished by forming a first gaseous stream comprising the sample, passing the first gaseous stream into a first adsorbent-containing trap and therein trapping said solute; and, thereafter simultaneously heating and backflushing said first trap with a first carrier gas to form a second gaseous stream comprising first carrier gas and the solute. The second gaseous stream derived from the first trap is passed to a second adsorbent-containing trap and solute is trapped therein.

Abstract: A fluid purification apparatus of the type which includes a stack of membrane packs and a stack of gaskets located at the peripheral portions of the membrane packs to keep them separated from one another, wherein the gaskets have outer lands bearing on one another and surrounding the membrane packs, inner lands pressing against the faces of the packs to seal against them, and elongated bendable middle gasket portions connecting the inner and outer lands to allow the inner lands to adjust position so as to compensate for variations in thickness of the membrane packs.