Peak Scientific

This technical brief aims to demonstrate the performance of GC-MS using hydrogen carrier gas. Here we compare the performance of hydrogen and helium for the analysis of a complex mixture.

Hydrogen generators are now becoming an essential component in many laboratories with greater gas consumption levels. Most people are aware that hydrogen gas is produced from electrolysis of water, but is it as simple as that and why are generators so expensive?

This application note aims to demonstrate the injection of a complex, 76-component sample diluted in Dichloromethane (DCM) using hydrogen carrier gas.

Helium is well known as Helium that makes balloons and airships float and in its liquid form, Helium is used in a variety of applications including cooling for magnets in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners, cooling infrared detectors, and as a superconductor coolant in the large hadron collider at CERN.

Laboratories that switch gas supply from helium to hydrogen can see a number of benefits including reduced overheads, faster throughput and even improved separations.

Here we show the reasons behind the helium shortage, what hydrogen offers the chromatographer and show how hydrogen can improve the separation of analytes in a complex mixture of compounds whilst improving the throughput of sample.

Many laboratories are now prohibited from placing Hydrogen cylinders on their premises owing to health and safety restrictions. A Peak Scientific Precision Hydrogen Trace generator is a safe alternative to gas cylinders whilst providing pure carrier gas (99.9999% purity, moisture free), in quantities great enough to supply a number of GCs simultaneously.

The aim within the laboratory should be to achieve the best separation in the shortest time period. The most commonly used gases as carrier gas for GC are nitrogen, hydrogen and helium. The differences between the gases are evident when comparing their van Deemter curves. This is illustrated in the Van Deemter Equation

Detailed hydrocarbon analysis (DHA) is a separation technique used by a variety of laboratories involved in the petrochemical industry for analysis and identification of individual components as well as for bulk hydrocarbon characterisation of a particular sample. Bulk analysis looks at gasoline composition in terms of PONA components (Paraffins, Olefins, Naphthalenes and Aromatics) and other fuels in the C1-C13 range since this gives an indication of overall quality of the sample.

Hydrogen Generators that are utilised to provide Carrier Gas for GC and GC/MS applications employ many technologies to provide high purity hydrogen. Here were look at the various methods used to purify hydrogen. Three using PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane), combined with various purification techniques, and the fourth using a combined Palladium Electrolyser.