Method and apparatus for sonic separation and analysis of components of

Abstract

An apparatus and method for separating components of a fluid mixture of materials uses an acoustic or sonic generator attached to one end of a hollow tube, or column having a uniform internal diameter, to produce standing sonic waves within the column. The sonic waves act as so-called chromatographic plates with the plate height being equivalent to the wavelength, and the plate number in the column being equal to the total number of nodes in the column. The effective column length can be controlled by the use of moving sonic waves which by changing the direction of wave motion can enhance or attentuate the separation process to produce a variation in the apparent column length without changing the physical length of the ultrasonic column. A sample to be separated and a carrier fluid are introduced into the end of the column adjacent to the sonic generator while a fluid exit is provided in the other end of the column. The apparatus can also be used with the separation of components of atomized liquids and components of finely powdered solids. In this application the column could be upright to take advantage of gravity in addition to the sample sweeping action of the carrier fluid. Pressure detectors penetrating the column are used to detect any shifting of the sonic wave position and either the sonic generator is adjusted by a sonic controller responsive to output signals from the detectors so that a desired equilibrium is restored or the detector output signals are analyzed to identify the separated sample components.