Rapid Greenhouse Gas Analysis via the NexisTM GC-2030 Gas Chromatograph

Importance of the Topic

Precise measurement of greenhouse gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide is critical for environmental monitoring and regulatory compliance. Rapid and reliable analysis supports high-throughput workflows and helps track emission sources.

Objectives and Study Overview

The study aimed to develop and validate a fast gas chromatographic method on the Nexis GC-2030 system for simultaneous quantitation of major greenhouse gases and demonstrate expanded detection capabilities for light hydrocarbons.

Methodology and Instrumentation

A Shimadzu GC-2030 equipped with:

• Dual capillary columns (Q-BOND 30 m × 0.53 mm and QS-BOND 30 m × 0.53 mm)
• ECD Exceed-2030 and FID-2030 with in-jet methanizer (Jetanizer™)
• 6-port gas loop sampling and 6-port switching valves for heart-cut operations
• AOC-6000 Plus autosampler for direct Exetainer™ vial sampling

Key parameters:

• Injection: 1 mL gas loop, 250 °C injector
• Carrier: N2 at 35.7 cm/s, split ratio 5:1
• Oven: isothermal at 35 °C
• FID: 400 °C, makeup He 24 mL/min, H2 32 mL/min, air 250 mL/min
• ECD: 325 °C, P5 gas 15 mL/min, current 2.0 nA

Key Results and Discussion

The method achieved:

• Analysis of CH4, CO2 and N2O in under 2.5 min with fully resolved peaks
• Limits of detection below 0.4 ppm (methane & CO2) and 0.1 ppm (N2O)
• Limits of quantitation around 1 ppm for all gases
• Excellent repeatability (<1 % RSD for triplicate injections)

Expansion with Standard 2 demonstrated separation of CO, CH4, CO2, C2H4, C2H6 and heart-cut venting of C2H2 in under 3.5 min. Heart-cutting prevented catalyst fouling and improved RSD to <0.3 %.

Advantages and Practical Applications

The described GC configuration offers high sensitivity, rapid cycle times, and robustness. It accommodates various sample formats (summa canisters, Tedlar bags, syringes, vials) and supports environmental monitoring, quality control, and industrial process analysis.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Further development may include:

• Integration of additional light hydrocarbons and trace contaminants
• Automated workflows for online and field-deployable systems
• Advanced heart-cut strategies to protect catalytic components

Conclusion

The Nexis GC-2030 greenhouse gas analyzer provides a rapid, sensitive, and repeatable solution for greenhouse gas quantitation with expandable capabilities for broader analyte panels.

References

Shimadzu Application Note SSI-GC-2109