Tracera (GC-BID) Solution

Significance of the Topic

This white-paper introduces the Tracera GC-BID system, a next-generation gas chromatograph for ultra-trace analysis in environmental monitoring, industrial quality control and advanced research. The universal Barrier Discharge Ionization Detector (BID) offers exceptionally high photon energy (17.7 eV) to ionize virtually all compounds except He and Ne, enabling the detection of trace analytes that are difficult or impossible to observe with conventional detectors (TCD, FID). Its flameless design and robust plasma source deliver stable, long-term performance without catalyst deactivation or flame hazards.

Study Objectives and Overview

The article reviews the development and performance of the Tracera system by Shimadzu, combining a GC-2010 Plus capillary gas chromatograph with the BID-2010 Plus detector. It presents a series of application studies demonstrating:

• Enhanced sensitivity and repeatability in formic acid analysis in organic solvents.
• High-sensitivity measurement of formic acid in artificial photosynthesis reaction media.
• Trace formic acid quantitation in industrial acetic acid with parts-per-million precision.
• Simultaneous analysis of inorganic gases and light hydrocarbons down to low ppm levels.
• Determination of permanent gas impurities in specialty gas streams.
• Ultrafast analysis of natural, refinery and extended refinery gases within minutes.

Methodology and Instrumentation Used

The Tracera platform integrates:

• GC solution software for automated control.
• Shimadzu GC-2010 Plus capillary gas chromatograph with multi-valve, multi-column switching for selective separation of C1–C13 hydrocarbons, inorganic gases and reactive species.
• BID-2010 Plus universal plasma detector using helium dielectric barrier discharge for high-energy ionization.
• Optional flame ionization detectors (FID) and methanizer alternatives where required.
• Various columns: Rtx-WAX, Rt-Q PLOT, Rtx-MS-5A, Rt-Al2O3 PLOT and Rtx-1 for tailored applications.
• Gas samplers and customized thermal value calculation software for natural and refinery gas calorimetry.

Main Results and Discussion

Key findings include:

• Formic acid in acetone: phosphoric acid pretreatment of inlet liners and columns yielded stable peak shapes, detection at 1 ppm with CV ≤ 1.6 % over 100 injections, and linear response (R² > 0.9999).
• Artificial photosynthesis media: treatment to remove ionic electrolytes enabled repeatable quantitation of 10 ppm formic acid with RSD < 2.5 % and near-100 % recovery.
• Industrial acetic acid: trace formic acid (0.001–0.5 %) analysis showed linearity (R² = 0.99998), repeatability RSD < 2 %, and LOD of 0.00005 % using BID vs. TCD.
• Inorganic gases and light hydrocarbons: simultaneous detection of H₂, O₂, N₂, CO, CO₂, CH₄, C₂H₂, C₂H₄ and C₂H₆ at 5 ppm each with RSD < 2 % in ten consecutive injections.
• High-purity fluorocarbon, Li-ion battery off-gas and permanent gas streams: CO₂ measured down to 0.3 ppm, hydrogen sulfide and other permanent gases resolved within seconds.
• Natural, refinery and extended refinery gases: complete C1–C13 profiling within 5–10 minutes; LODs below 10 ppm for all analytes; area RSD < 1 %.

Benefits and Practical Applications of the Method

The Tracera GC-BID system delivers:

• Universal, high-sensitivity detection of diverse compounds without need for hydrogen flame or methanizer.
• Robust, room-temperature plasma with minimal electrode degradation and no catalyst poisoning.
• Flameless operation for use in restricted environments.
• Flexible column switching for ultrafast multi-component separations.
• Broad dynamic range spanning sub-ppm to percent levels.
• Integrated software workflows for rapid thermal value and purity calculations in energy and industrial gas sectors.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Emerging directions include:

• Real-time on-line monitoring of catalytic reactions, exhaled breath biomarkers and environmental VOCs.
• Further miniaturization and portable GC-BID systems for field analysis.
• Integration with AI-driven data analytics for automated anomaly detection in manufacturing.
• Expanded use in novel renewable energy research, semiconductor process control and life-science metabolomics.

Conclusion

The Tracera GC-2010 Plus combined with the BID-2010 Plus detector represents a versatile, universal solution for trace-level gas analysis across industrial, environmental and research applications. Its superior sensitivity, rapid analysis, broad compound coverage and user-friendly software make it an ideal platform for next-generation analytical challenges.

References

None specified in the source document.