Title

Shorter Run Times for Your GC/MS: What about Hydrogen Carrier Gas, Narrow Bore Columns, or Both?

Synopsis

It’s not just high throughput contract testing labs who want shorter run times for their GC/MS, and hydrogen carrier gas can do this. Using hydrogen in the laboratory comes with inherent risks so Agilent gas chromatographs are built with safety in mind. For GC/MS applications the MSD foreline pump exhaust as well as the GC split and septum purge vents should be connected to a negative flow laboratory vent system.

Helium is a better choice as carrier gas for GC/MS if it is available at a reasonable cost. It is inert, the most sensitive, and has favorable chromatography. Agilent’s HydroInert EI ion source minimizes in-source reactions with hydrogen. While hydrogen carrier gas is not as sensitive as helium, high carrier gas velocities are possible while retaining good resolution, making shorter run times possible. Narrow bore columns can shorten run times, and column dimensions are a critical consideration when converting from helium to hydrogen for GC/MS analyses.

Speaker:

Dr, Ben Davies

GC & GC/MS Product Specialist
Agilent Technologies, Inc.