Gel casting method and apparatus
First Claim
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1. A method of casting a gel in a rigid confined support structure for containing the gel, said support structure having at least one wall constructed of a material that transmits energy, comprising:
- coating the wall of said rigid confined support structure with an adhesion enhancing coating for firmly adhering said gel to the wall;
filling said support structure with a mixture containing a gelling material that is promoted to gel by absorption of energy, said material shrinking as it gels, said support structure filled such that said material is continuous from a first location on said wall to a second location on said wall;
providing energy by means of an energy source to a localized area of said wall;
causing relative motion of said support structure and said energy source so that said localized area that receives energy from said source is moved along said wall in a direction from the first location toward the second location on said wall, thereby causing gellation to occur in said gelling mixture and adhesion of the gel to the support structure in a moving zone substantially adjacent to said localized area as said localized area moves, producing in the entire confined support structure a continuous gel substantially free of voids and air bubbles in the absence of degassing.
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Abstract
A gel casting method and apparatus are used to cause a pre-gelled liquid mixture to gel sequentially in a given travelling direction, allowing still-liquid material to flow to the gelling front, replacing volume lost due to shrinkage during the change of state from a liquid to a gel. The differential gelling method provides stress-free gels free of voids common to highly stressed gels, and the method is applicable to column and slab gels, and particularly to capillary columns and very thin slab gels.
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9 Claims
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1. A method of casting a gel in a rigid confined support structure for containing the gel, said support structure having at least one wall constructed of a material that transmits energy, comprising:
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coating the wall of said rigid confined support structure with an adhesion enhancing coating for firmly adhering said gel to the wall; filling said support structure with a mixture containing a gelling material that is promoted to gel by absorption of energy, said material shrinking as it gels, said support structure filled such that said material is continuous from a first location on said wall to a second location on said wall; providing energy by means of an energy source to a localized area of said wall; causing relative motion of said support structure and said energy source so that said localized area that receives energy from said source is moved along said wall in a direction from the first location toward the second location on said wall, thereby causing gellation to occur in said gelling mixture and adhesion of the gel to the support structure in a moving zone substantially adjacent to said localized area as said localized area moves, producing in the entire confined support structure a continuous gel substantially free of voids and air bubbles in the absence of degassing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification