News from LabRulezGCMS Library - Week 31, 2026
LabRulez: News from LabRulezGCMS Library - Week 31, 2026
Our Library never stops expanding. What are the most recent contributions to LabRulezGCMS Library in the week of 27th July 2026? Check out new documents from the field of the gas phase, especially GC and GC/MS techniques!
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This week we bring you application notes by Agilent Technologies and Thermo Fisher Scientific, poster by MDCW / University of Washington and brochure by Shimadzu!
1. Agilent Technologies: Routine Trace‑Level Analysis of m‑Xylene in High‑Purity p‑Xylene
Using the Agilent 8890B GC system
- Application note
- Full PDF for download
The Agilent 8890B GC system builds on the exceptional performance of the Agilent 8890A GC, with the addition of many features designed to enhance the user experience for both new and expert‑level operators. This application note explores several use cases of these features applied to a challenging GC purity method—quantifying trace‑level m‑xylene (MX) in p‑xylene (PM). This separation requires careful balancing of optimized chromatographic parameters— speed, resolution, and sensitivity. Leveraging Agilent GC Assist features, including early maintenance feedback (EMF) counters and automated peak evaluation capabilities integrated into the 8890B GC, helps maximize method robustness and instrument uptime.
Though conceptually simple, separating and measuring small quantities of m‑xylene in p‑xylene is a challenge that requires precise instrument control and the highest‑quality GC parts and consumables. As both compounds are positional isomers and have nearly identical boiling points, separation has historically been achieved using a long and highly polar column, such as a polyethylene glycol "wax" phase. ASTM D7504 recommends a wax column with dimensions 60 m × 0.320 mm and 0.25 µm phase thickness. A 0.50 µm phase thickness can be used for increased resolution.1 The separation is validated with a p‑xylene standard containing approximately 1,000 ppm m‑xylene. Measuring m‑xylene at significantly lower concentrations requires an increase in resolution between MX and PX, which can be accomplished by increasing the phase thickness of the column at the cost of increased peak broadening. This broadening negatively impacts the limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) for MX and must be offset by reducing the inner diameter of the column to resharpen the peak. This application note demonstrates the use of 0.200 mm and 0.100 mm id wax columns to yield optimized separations, presenting the associated benefits and limitations of both separations.
Experimental
An 8890B GC was configured with an Agilent 7650A automatic liquid sampler (ALS), split/splitless (SSL) inlet, and flame ionization detector (FID). Two columns were used to explore two different separation speeds—a faster separation with less sample capacity using an Agilent J&W DB‑WAX FF column, 20 m × 100 µm, 0.2 µm (p/n 127‑7023FF) and a higher‑resolution separation with more sample capacity using an Agilent J&W HP‑INNOWax column, 50 m × 200 µm, 0.4 µm (p/n 19091N‑205I). Both methods used hydrogen carrier gas, and Agilent Gas Clean filters were used to remove moisture, hydrocarbons, and oxygen from the carrier gas and FID hydrogen. The FID air was filtered for moisture and hydrocarbons. The GC configuration and method details can be found in Tables 1 and 2, respectively.
Results and discussion
Establishing and ensuring the method’s long‑term stability requires protecting the column stationary phase by limiting the amount of oxygen in the system. While carrier gas contamination is typically the largest source of unwanted oxygen, the inlet septum can also contribute to oxygen ingress as successive syringe injections create a hole, necessitating regular changing. The Agilent portfolio of consumables and supplies has several solutions specifically designed to overcome these challenges. The Gas Clean purification system features a carrier gas filter that removes oxygen, moisture, and hydrocarbons and includes a color‑changing visual indicator of filter life, which can be monitored remotely by the 8890B GC using an optional optical sensor. Advanced Green septa are engineered for low bleed and extended durability, further enhanced by using a Blue Line autosampler syringe with a tapered needle to reduce physical coring of the septum. Regular maintenance of these parts maximizes instrument uptime. The 8890B GC has several features designed to warn when maintenance is approaching, assist when maintenance is required, and track when maintenance is completed.
The 8890B GC features intelligent tracking of the ages of consumables using injection‑ and time‑based counters. These EMF counters feature two optional warning thresholds—"Service Warning" and "Service Due"—that are user‑configurable and function like the oil light on the dashboard of a vehicle, telling users of approaching maintenance. The EMF counters can be accessed directly through the GC touchscreen or through the GC Assist interface. Figure 1 shows an overview of the EMF counters for the front inlet, and Figure 2 presents the detailed history of septum maintenance, including a running tally of injections on the current septum. When performing maintenance on the 8890B GC using the guided maintenance process on the touch screen or GC Assist interface, the EMF counters are automatically reset at the end of the procedure and can also be reset manually. For this application, the EMF counters and appropriate warning thresholds for the septum, liner, syringe, column, inlet gold seal, and carrier gas filter will be explored.
Conclusion
The Agilent 8890B GC system—powered by the highest‑quality Agilent columns and supplies—delivers a robust, sensitive solution for measuring trace‑level m‑xylene (MX) in p‑xylene (PX). The Agilent J&W HP‑INNOWax column produced the highest‑resolution separation and the best retention time stability, with an S/N ratio of 98.5 for 50 ppm MX. The narrower Agilent J&W DB‑WAX FF column yielded a 40% faster run time at the cost of lower resolution and retention time stability, with an S/N ratio of 27.7 for 50 ppm MX. The integrated Agilent GC Assist features, peak evaluation and early maintenance feedback (EMF) counters, provide intelligent, automated monitoring of system and separation health, maximizing instrument uptime and supporting long‑term success with routine trace analysis.
2. MDCW / University of Washington: Developing 2D mzCompare for single GC×GC-TOFMS chromatograms: Substantial resolution enhancement in the context of statistical overlap theory
- Poster
- Full PDF for download
Accurate identification of all detectable analyte components in a single comprehensive twodimensional (2D) gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) chromatogram is a fundamental interest in the field. Herein, we developed a new algorithmic software approach called 2D mzCompare to generate accurate peak tables for GC×GCTOFMS. Extending from our original method for one-dimensional GC-MS data, the 2D mzCompare algorithm discovers selective mass channels (m/z) for each analyte to resolve overlapping peaks and improve analyte identification, leveraging the similarity in retention time and peak shape across m/z of the same analyte. The 2D mzCompare algorithm calculates the peak shape similarity between m/z at every modulation via lack-of-fit (LOF), followed by clustering and focusing steps, to generate a final peak table. To evaluate this software, we simulated realistic GC×GC-TOFMS data in the context of the statistical overlap theory (SOT), so the exact number and identities of analytes are known a priori. Utilizing an in-house mass spectrum library of similar compounds, GC×GC-TOFMS chromatograms were simulated with varying degrees of chromatographic saturation (𝛼2𝐷). First, we provide a new algorithmic approach, 2D mzCompare, to resolve overlapped analytes in GC×GCTOFMS data, and second, we validate the accuracy of the software performance using SOT.
Conclusions and Future Work
An extended algorithm, 2D mzCompare designed for intra-chromatogram comparison to enable rigorous analyte discovery and identification, was developed for GC×GC-TOFMS data. Within the context of SOT, 2D mzCompare increases separation resolution by computationally minimizing the 2D peak widths, enhancing 2D peak capacity and reducing the saturation factor. At low saturation factors (𝛼2𝐷= 0.01, 0.03, and 0.1), over 95% of the simulated components are found to be mathematically resolved singlets (pure analyte components) by 2D mzCompare, while approximately 62% were found at 𝛼2𝐷 = 1, exceeding predictions made by SOT. Using optimized 2D mzCompare parameters, improvements in 2Rs and 𝛼2𝐷 are about 12-fold, empirically validating SOT expectations. Furthermore, 2D mzCompare can be used as a preprocessing tool to determine or validate the “rank” (the number of analyte components) in overlapped regions of GC×GC-TOFMS chromatograms when combined with chemometric methods such as MCR-ALS or PARAFAC. Future studies will focus on applying the algorithm to real sample datasets.
3. Shimadzu: Meet The World’s First Multi-Mode FID In Nexis GC-2060
- Brochure
- Full PDF for download
High Performance And Low Maintenance Multi-Mode FID
The new FID-U (2.0) in the Nexis GC-2060 reengineers conventional FID to maximize uptime and efficiency. With new Air and O2 makeup gas options, you can streamline your gas supply – saving cylinder costs and lab space. Its capabilities can be further expanded with Shimadzu’s proprietary Jetanizer and Polyarc microreactors.
Cylinder-Free FID Operation With Hy/Ox and Hy/Air Modes
Routine operation with traditional FIDs is often costly and complex, requiring a three-gas setup: a He or N2 makeup gas combined with H2 and Air. The new FID simplifies your infrastructure by introducing Air and O2 as makeup gas alternatives, unlocking true cylinder-free operation.* This helps to reduce running cost and cut helium usage.
Keep Your Bench Space As You Expand Your Analyte Coverage
Seamlessly integrate Jetanizer and Polyarc microreactors to boost detector response for weak or undetectable compounds. The new FID delivers simpler quantitation and broader analysis capabilities with zero extra footprint.
Jetanizer Mode (CO and CO2 Detection)
- Converts CO and CO2 to CH4 for detection
- Enabled by simply replacing the FID nozzle
Polyarc Mode (Single-Calibration Approach)
- Converts hydrocarbons, CO and CO2 to CH4 for detection
- Provides universal response across compounds
- Quantitates the above using just one calibration curve
4. Thermo Fisher Scientific: Measuring destruction efficiency of greenhouse gases released by semiconductor fabrication tools
- Application note
- Full PDF for download
Background
Modern materials processing activities involve the use of cold plasmas employing fluorinated gases as reactive species. Some of these gases have been demonstrated to exhibit deleterious environmental consequences resulting in their being labelled as greenhouse gases or GHGs. Among the list of GHGs undergoing intense review are those of fluorinated gases, such as NF3, CF4 , SF6, CH2F2 , etc. Many of these gases are either reactants or are generated as by-products of semiconductor wafer fabrication processes, such as etching and chemical vapor deposition. Therefore, semiconductor fabrication plants (SemiFabs) employ abatement tools to destroy and dilute these fluorinated gases before they reach a stack scrubber. This process assures that they will meet EPA regulations which require yearly facility-dependent GHG emission audits. European and Asian semiconductor manufacturers must meet similar regulations as well.
Problem
To ensure that the abatement process occurs efficiently, SemiFabs are required to audit selected abatement devices (one per each wafer processing tool employed) such that each device gets periodically reviewed for efficiency in destroying these GHGs before they are released to the scrubber. Since there are hundreds of abatement devices within a single SemiFab, the monitoring process must be accurate, fast (one or two hours), and able to monitor multiple fluorinated species simultaneously. Most SemiFabs utilize a series of devices to perform the necessary measurements required to calculate an overall destruction efficiency for each fluorinated species. Among the measurements required are the dilution factor (the overall ratio of the flowrate into the abatement device to that of the flowrate out of the abatement device). In most cases, this requires the use of a krypton gas tracer and a mass spectrometer (for measurement of flowrate out) in addition to an FTIR to measure a separate infrared-active gas tracer (for measurement of flowrate in). Also required is another more sensitive FTIR to measure the residual fluorinated gases which survived destructive processes within the abatement device. The result is a very bulky and cumbersome system to measure input and output flows and concentrations. What is needed is a much simpler and fully integrated measurement system capable of performing ALL these tasks.
Solution
Thermo Fisher Scientific has developed a new methodology for measuring abatement destruction efficiencies with a much simpler system. The system uses the Thermo Scientific™ MAX-iR™ FTIR Gas Analyzer with DTGS detector in conjunction with the Thermo Scientific™ Automated Sample Console (ASC-10™). The MAX-iR analyzer can monitor the entire IR spectral range (500-5000 cm-1) without the need for liquid nitrogen. The ASC-10 allows for the precise measurement of post-abatement flow by determining the dilution of a tracer infrared gas or gases; this obviates the need for a spacious and costly mass spectrometer and krypton gas utilized in the previous system.
