Choosing a different carrier gas in GC

In GC mostly helium is used as the carrier gas. The challenge with helium is that it is expensive and will only become more expensive. Also the supply is not secured which makes many labs look for alternatives. It is also possible to use nitrogen or hydrogen as the carrier gas. Big advantage of these gases is their low cost and secured availability. They can even be produced in the lab. Depending on the separations required it is possible to use nitrogen or hydrogen.

Presenter: Presenter: Jaap de Zeeuw (Gas Chromatography Specialist, Restek)

Jaap is a world-renowned chromatographer with over 40 years of experience, including 27 years with Varian/Chrompack focusing on industrial analysis challenges. For his 1979 graduation from The Institute for Higher Education, specialized in chemistry, Jaap authored a paper titled "The Challenge of Coating Flexible Fused Silica Capillary Columns" and has since distinguished himself as an authority on the subject. Directly involved with the creation of numerous chemically bonded columns, including the first bonded PEG column and the stabilized PLOT columns widely used in the petrochemical arena, Restek’s international GC specialist has helped develop new techniques, such as fast GC-MS using vacuum GC technology, and has filed two patents for his work. Based out of the Netherlands, Jaap celebrates 10 years with Restek. Jaap is extensively published and regularly travels internationally to share his knowledge.