Powerful GC, GC/MS Capabilities Accessible to More Labs

Agilent Technologies, Inc have recently announced four enhancements to its flagship 7890A gas chromatograph (GC) and 5975C GC/mass spectrometer
(GC/MS), designed to improve analysis of complex mixtures and make powerful qualitative and quantitative capabilities accessible to a wider range of laboratories.
Agilent introduces GC x GC that doesn’t require cryogen. GC x GC, also known as ‘comprehensive GC’, is the separation of complex samples by diverting each peak from a GC column to a second column.
This two-column method can substantially increase peak capacity and resolving power, which is highly useful with complex mixtures such as petroleum, fuels, fragrance and environmental samples.
Until now, this required cryogenic cooling for modulation between the columns, adding considerable cost and complexity to the basic GC. Agilent also developed columns to further enhance GC x GC performance.
This new GC x GC configuration is the latest iteration of capillary flow technology, introduced with the Agilent 7890A GC in 2007. It uses a differential flow modulator to focus and transfer effluent from the first column to the second with great precision and repeatability. Control of the device is fully integrated into the 7890A. Capillary flow technology is a proprietary engineering breakthrough for in-oven connections and flow manipulations that withstand temperature cycles and pressures of GC analyses without leaking.
Agilent capillary flow technology now offers the widest range of multidimensional capabilities, from its simple 2-D Dean’s switch device for heart-cutting to analyse for specific peaks in complex mixtures, to
comprehensive GC x GC for detailed sample characterisation and component
class determinations.