1. An alternative GC-ICP-MS interface design for trace element speciation
- Author
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María Montes Bayón, Alfredo Sanz-Medel, J. Ignacio García Alonso, and Manuel Gutiérrez Camblor
- Subjects
Argon ,Capillary action ,Plasma torch ,Chemistry ,Analytical chemistry ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Tube (fluid conveyance) ,Gas chromatography ,Inductively coupled plasma ,Mass spectrometry ,Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry ,Spectroscopy ,Analytical Chemistry - Abstract
The design, construction and performance characteristics of an easily removable interface to couple a gas chromatograph (GC) to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) for trace element speciation is described. The interface is based on the use of a heated metallic tube where the last part of the capillary GC column is inserted. This metallic tube is connected to a metallic T-piece where a flow of argon carrier gas is introduced perpendicularly and externally to the metallic tube, creating a high velocity flow of intermediate sheath gas, which prevents condensation of the analytes eluting from the column on the walls of the T-piece or on the connection tubing to the ICP-MS torch. A flexible non-heated PTFE tube is used to connect the exit of the T-piece to the ICP-MS torch. This new interface has been applied to the separation and detection of different organometallic compounds of Se, S, Pb, Hg and Sn.
- Published
- 1999
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