Design considerations for a novel miniaturized tandem GC method for field screening applications
- Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States). Center for Micro Analysis and Reaction Chemistry
- FemtoScan Corp., Salt Lake City, UT (United States)
Development of a potentially field-portable tandem CTC (GC/GC) method involving a novel, dynamic coupling between two short capillary GC columns -- each of which is independently optimizable with regard to temperature and flow -- is described. The relatively slow (5--25 sec wide), GC peaks eluting from the first (1.2 m x 530 {micro}m) column are sampled repetitively at 1--5 sec. intervals into the second (0.8m x 100{micro}m) column. Dynamic coupling by means of fluidic AVS (Automated Vapor Sampling) technology, rather than through trap-and-desorb interfaces, reduces power requirements. Further power reduction is achieved by isothermal operation of both columns. If property designed and optimized the sensitivity of dynamic GC/GC techniques should approach that of one-dimensional GC, depending on the type of detector used. Since a universally responsive, subambient pressure, low weight and low power detector for field-portable GC/GC has not yet been found, a Hewlett Packard MSD (Mass Selective Detector) was used throughout the present study. At a maximum scan rate of 35 spectra (over 5 amu mass range), the minimum practical GC peak width eluting from the second column is limited to approx. 100 msec. The feasibility of producing comprehensive, two-dimensional chromatograms of multicomponent mixtures, volatile compounds, including C{sub 3}-C{sub 6} ketones, is demonstrated.
- OSTI ID:
- 230965
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950209--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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