GC and GC/MS Frequently Asked Questions

Have you ever had a question about your GC or GC/MS analysis, but it seemed so simple that you thought everyone must already know the answer? We can assure you that you’re not the first nor the last person to ask.

In chromatography, the simplest of questions can have the most complex answers.

• A question about which liner to use can lead to a discussion on the benefits of glass wool versus glass frits.
• A question about how long a column should last triggers a discussion about the importance of a leak-free system, the maximum temperature limit, proper phase selection, and so on.

There’s no such thing as an easy answer, often because the answer always “depends” on many factors. To help you improve your chromatographic know-how, we’ve compiled a list of some of our most frequently asked questions. These may seem like simple questions but, in reality, they have anything but simple answers.

Presenter: Mark Sinnott (Application Engineer, Agilent Technologies, Inc.)

Mark Sinnott works for Agilent Technologies as a Technical Support Engineer in the Consumables and Supplies Division (CSD). In his position at Agilent, Mark performs technical support and applications assistance to gas chromatographers worldwide. He has more than 22 years of experience in gas chromatography, including environmental analysis of compounds in air, soil and water matrices, including dissolved gas analysis for the electrical industry. Mark holds a Master’s Degree in Chemistry from California State University, Sacramento, and currently resides in Twin Falls Idaho.

Presenter: Vanessa Abercrombie (Gas Chromatography Applications Chemist, Agilent Technologies, Inc.)

Vanessa Abercrombie is a GC Applications Chemist at Agilent Technologies in Folsom, CA. Vanessa has a broad background in GC and GC/MS, including experience as an instrument chemist at Bode Technology in Virginia working under contract to the FBI’s Laboratory Division. Prior to that, Vanessa worked for ETS Labs in St. Helena, CA as an Analytical Chemist where she researched and developed quantitative separations by GC/MS and UHPLC for beer, wine and spirits.