Fast Gas Chromatography with Short Columns: Are Speed and Resolution Mutually Exclusive?

Abstract

Recently, interest in developing techniques for very fast separations using capillary gas chromatography (GC) has increased significantly. This is probably owing to the many improvements in technology, hardware, and software over the past fifteen years. Nearly all of the fast GC instruments developed have a common characteristic, i.e., a short column. In this review, the practical implications on method development, optimization, and obtaining resolution of the use of very short columns for fast GC separations are discussed. The best resolution is often obtained by combining fast GC with selective sampling techniques or selective detectors, such as mass spectrometry. Method examples from several industries are drawn from the literature and the theoretical considerations in fast GC are described.

Keywords:

• Fast gas chromatography
• Resolution
• Programmed temperature vaporization
• Method development