| Abstract Title: | Intelligent GC Solutions based on Capillary Flow Technology |
| Abstract Type: | oral |
| Session Choice: | Analytical Techniques:Separation Science |
| Presenter Name: | Mr Bart Tienpont |
| Company/Organisation: | Research Institute for Chromatography |
| Country: | Belgium |
Abstract Information :
The complexity of petrochemical fractions have challenged analytical scientists to this present day. In hydrocarbon processing, dedicated analyzers are commonly used and are often based on multidimensional approaches, allowing column switching, isolation of fractions and/or column back-flushing. These analyzers are well suited for a given application but lack flexibility. Moreover, since gas valves are used to direct fractions to different columns or detectors, these valves have limitations in operating temperature, resulting in sample discrimination (of higher boiling fractions), and are also prone to adsorption of more polar or reactive solutes since they are placed inside the sample pathway.
Recent developments in capillary flow technology (CFT) has introduced devices that allow to create flexible configurations that can be applied to various petrochemical applications covering a wide boiling and polarity range of solutes. CFT interfaces are non-moving inert in-oven capillary connections that have low thermal mass and low dead volumes. As these interfaces can also be connected to an electronic pressure/flow controller, they allow smart column configurations that permit column coupling, back-flushing, flow splitting and flow selection or heart-cutting.
This presentation gives an overview of the use CFT devices for specific petrochemical analyses. Examples include the analysis of gas and liquid fractions using heart-cut GC and GC-MS, selectable one-dimensional/two-dimensional heart-cut GC-MS configurations and multi-detector approaches.
In addition, the application of a second-generation CFT flow modulation device for comprehensive GCxGC analysis will be presented.
