Patent ID: 7655185

Claim:
A polymer sample analyzer, comprising: a gas phase component production unit having a housing and for producing a plurality of gas phase components in the housing; a carrier gas introduction unit for introducing a carrier gas into the housing; a separation unit for separating the gas phase components introduced therein from the housing via a sample introduction portion into each component; and a detection unit for detecting the each component separated by the separation unit, wherein the housing is directly connected to an upstream side of the sample introduction portion, a downstream side of the sample introduction portion is connected to an upstream side of the separation unit, and a downstream side of the separation unit is connected to an upstream side of the detection unit, and wherein the gas phase component production unit comprises, inside thereof, a silica tube having an upper end portion through which a sample vessel can be inserted and a lower end portion connected to the sample introduction portion, a UV irradiation unit for irradiating a polymer sample with UV rays, wherein the UV irradiation unit comprises (a) a lamp as a light source, (b) an optical filter for selectively transmitting ultraviolet light having wavelength of 400 nm or less from the light source, and (c) an optical fiber connected to the optical filter, wherein a tip portion of the optical fiber is inserted into the upper end portion of the silica tube in order to irradiate the polymer sample in the sample vessel, an atmospheric gas introduction unit for introducing a predetermined atmospheric gas into the gas phase component production unit, and a gas switching unit for switching a gas to be introduced into the separation unit between the carrier gas and the atmospheric gas; and wherein the polymer sample is, under the atmosphere of the predetermined atmospheric gas introduced from the atmospheric gas introduction unit, exposed to UV rays irradiated from the UV irradiation unit to cause deterioration and decomposition of the material, thereby forming a plurality of gas phase components and after the deterioration and decomposition of the polymer sample, the gas introduced into the separation unit via the housing and sample introduction unit is switched from the atmospheric gas to the carrier gas by the gas switching unit to introduce the gas phase components via the housing and sample introduction unit into the separation unit by the aid of the carrier gas.