In 10 Minutes, I’ll Give You The Truth About Headspace Sampler
Gas purifiers are essential because they help in providing a clean gas stream, that may guarantee the grade of the gas chromatographic analysis and the reliability of the outcomes. Further, such gas purifiers minimize detector noise and prolong the life of the column. Gas purifiers are like insurance policies to safeguard the instrumentation and other analytical columns from different types of contaminants. Still, the gas purifiers will not be in a position to convert low purity gases into high purity gases. Because of this important factor, it’s important to select the proper grade of gases with different purity levels for proper used in gas chromatographic applications.
Selection of Right Gas Purifier to fit your Applications
Various types of gas purifiers can be purchased in the market. Although some gas purifiers remove just one specific contaminant, other types remove multiple contaminants simultaneously from the gas stream. You have to reflect on several factors during the selection procedure for gas purifiers, considering your unique applications. These factors will include the potential contaminants within the gas stream, the limitations on flow and pressure, degrees of gas purity required, desired convenience in replacement of spent gas traps, and space availability.
headspace sampler Used in Gas Purifiers
Oxygen, hydrocarbon, skin tightening and, and moisture traps are the most common purifiers used in most the gas chromatography (GC) applications. Oxygen traps are normally filled with metal catalysts. Oxygen is recognized as probably the most detrimental contaminating gas in every analytical columns. Oxygen is with the capacity of producing irreversible oxidation damage, especially to polar stationary phases. Hydrocarbon traps are usually filled with activated charcoal, which can absorb organic compounds that are larger than methane. Still, the molecular weight and size of the organic contaminants could have a definite effect on the capacity of the hydrocarbon trap to a great extent but it may also think about trap efficiency to some extent.
Activated charcoal possesses a higher capacity to trap larger hydrocarbons which are greater than C4, in comparison to smaller hydrocarbons, which are lesser than C4. Moisture traps are usually filled with unique molecular sieves. When subjected to extensive heating, the crystalline structures are forced to lose their hydration or water content. This opens a cavity which gets filled readily with any compound that can fit the cavity. Water fits perfectly into this cavity but this trap may also be in a position to remove gases like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, and chlorine or other gases that have effective diameters lesser than water.
Procedure for Contaminants Affecting Gas Stream
If you wish to understand how the contaminants affect the gas stream, you will need to follow the path that the carrier gas takes to find yourself in the gas chromatograph. This path does apply for detector fuel gases also. The gases begin from a gas tank or a special gas generator. The gas travels through long lengths of tubes, pressure gauges, valves, and various other fittings. Each one of these areas is a potential culprit to introduce contaminants into the gas stream. This leads not merely in degrading the results of chromatography but also shortens the life span of the column of CG.
Major contaminants like oxygen, hydrocarbons, and moisture can handle wreaking havoc with the columns and detectors of CG. The packed and capillary columns will get degraded easily when they are exposed to oxygen or moisture, especially at high temperatures. These contaminants will also compromise detector performance. Since the detectors actually ‘see’ these contaminants, the effect is baseline noises, spikes, and drifts.
You should install gas purifiers in a vertical position as wall mounted types to avoid channeling. Channeling occurs when you install the gas purifier in a horizontal position. Gas purifiers can be found as compact panels having multiple purifiers or single panel which has multi-absorbent capabilities.