Analysis of Organic solvent - No. 483

Importance of Topic

Analysis of volatile organic solvents is critical for environmental monitoring, industrial quality control, and safety assurance. Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection offers sensitive, selective, and reliable quantification of common solvents in various matrices.

Objectives and Overview

This application demonstrates the performance of the Shimadzu SH-1 capillary column combined with GC-FID for separating and quantifying twelve common organic solvents. The goal is to achieve clear resolution within a fast run time and reproducible results suitable for environmental and industrial applications.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• Column: SH-1, 30 m × 0.53 mm I.D., film thickness 1.00 μm
• Oven Program: Initial 40 °C (3 min), ramp at 20 °C/min to 200 °C
• Injection: Split mode 1:20, injection port at 250 °C
• Carrier Gas: Helium at constant linear velocity of 67.1 cm/s (33.2 kPa at 40 °C)
• Detector: Flame ionization, 250 °C

Main Results and Discussion

The chromatogram achieved baseline separation of methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile, acetone, dichloromethane, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl acetate, tetrahydrofuran, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, heptane, and toluene within seven minutes. Peak shapes were sharp with minimal tailing, demonstrating the column's efficiency. The method shows excellent repeatability and stable retention times across multiple injections.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Rapid and reproducible analysis of common solvents
• Wide application in environmental monitoring of water and air pollutants
• Useful for quality control in chemical, pharmaceutical, and petrochemical industries
• Ensures compliance with regulatory guidelines for solvent residues

Future Trends and Applications

Advances in column technology and detector sensitivity are expected to enable even faster analyses and lower detection limits. Integration with mass spectrometry, automated sampling systems, and advanced data processing will expand capabilities for complex matrices and trace-level quantification.

Conclusion

The Shimadzu SH-1 capillary column coupled with GC-FID provides a robust, fast, and reliable approach for analyzing a broad range of volatile organic solvents. Its performance meets the demands of environmental and industrial laboratories, ensuring accurate monitoring and quality assurance.