Microtrace Adds New Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry System

Thermo 1310 GC – ISQ LT single quad MS with a PAL autosampler

Microtrace is pleased to announce the addition of a new piece of equipment to our laboratory, a Thermo 1310 Gas Chromatography – ISQ LT Mass Spectrometry (single quad) system. The system is accompanied by a PAL autosampler with liquid, headspace, and SPME arrow attachments. This system expands Microtrace’s capabilities in GC-MS with new technologies and the reproducibility of an autosampler. Microtrace also uses a Varian CP-3800 GC – Saturn 2200 ion trap MS. The addition of the new Thermo GC-MS to Microtrace’s instrumentation is part of a drive to expand our analytical capabilities and advance with cutting-edge technologies.

Visit our GC-MS page here.

Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometery

Gas chromatography provides a means to separate mixtures based on their retention time as they pass through a column with an ultra pure carrier gas (Microtrace currently uses helium carrier). Mass spectrometry utilizes the electrical charge to create ions from these separated compounds by mass. Both the chromatography and spectrometry can be used to identify and quantify compounds. Although not technically a microscopic technique, GC-MS supplements our microchemical methods by providing an extremely sensitive technique to separate and identify trace amounts of complex compounds. Samples introduced into the GC-MS are volatile organic compounds which include drugs, polymers, rubbers, paints, and additives. In addition to the identification and quantification of trace components, GC-MS is also a useful tool for the study of contamination, including  off-odors, off-colors, and a wide variety of other contamination and failure issues.

Microtrace has many sampling methods at its disposal to be prepared for the variety of different material types that are received. These methods include traditional liquid injections, headspace gas injections, SPME and SPME arrow sampling, charcoal strip, thermo desorption, and pyrolysis. Depending on our client’s needs, we are able to customize methodologies for specific task or analyze samples using standard methods.

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