Patent ID: 6968729

Claim:
A method of expediting the analysis of a sample containing at least one relevant low-boiling component and at least one relevant high-boiling component comprising: a) fractionating the sample in a fractionation zone comprising gas chromatography at fractionation conditions to obtain a low-boiling fraction as elutrate containing the at least one relevant low-boiling component and a high-boiling fraction through backflushing containing the at least one relevant high-boiling component; b) fractionating the low-boiling component in a sequential fractionation zone which separates the low-boiling fraction at sequential fractionation conditions to obtain a lower-boiling fraction containing the at least one relevant low-boiling component and an intermediate fraction containing at least one relevant intermediate component; c) analyzing the lower-boiling fraction in a first analysis zone comprising gas chromatography at first analysis conditions to determine one or both of the presence and concentration of at least one relevant low-boiling component; and, d) analyzing the high-boiling fraction in a second analysis zone at second analysis conditions to determine one or both of the presence and concentration of at least one relevant high-boiling component.