Volatile Amine Analysis Using a Zebron™ ZB-624PLUS™ GC Column

Importance of the Topic

Volatile amines are critical residual solvents in pharmaceutical manufacturing due to their strong odor and potential toxicity. Accurate, sensitive analysis is essential to ensure compliance with regulatory exposure limits.

Objectives and Study Overview

• Evaluate the performance of the Zebron ZB-624PLUS GC column for quantifying volatile amines.
• Compare chromatographic behavior and sensitivity against competing 624 phase columns.

Methodology and Instrumentation

• Analytes: Isopropylamine, diethylamine, and triethylamine tested at concentrations from 50 to 500 ppm.
• Instrumentation and Conditions:
  
  • Column: Zebron ZB-624PLUS (30 m × 0.32 mm ID × 1.80 µm film).
  • Injection: Split ratio 20:1, 1 µL at 200 °C, using a PLUS Straight Z-Liner™.
  • Carrier Gas: Helium at 1.8 mL/min (constant flow).
  • Oven Program: 50 °C for 1 min, ramp to 200 °C at 20 °C/min, hold for 5 min.
  • Detector: Flame ionization detector at 250 °C.
• Comparative columns (Restek Rxi-624Sil MS and Agilent DB-624UI) run under identical conditions.

Main Results and Discussion

• ZB-624PLUS column delivered symmetric peak shapes for all amines with skew values between 1.0 and 1.3 at 500 ppm.
• Comparisons showed significant tailing and reduced sensitivity on alternative 624 phases, while ZB-624PLUS maintained sharp, high-intensity peaks.
• At trace levels (50–100 ppm), the superior deactivation preserved peak symmetry, enabling reliable low-level quantitation.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Ensures precise measurement of residual amines in active pharmaceutical ingredients.
• Improves analytical robustness by minimizing analyte-column interactions.
• Supports regulatory compliance with low-bleed, high-thermal stability operation up to 320 °C.

Future Trends and Applications

• Integration with headspace and GC-MS workflows for automated trace detection.
• Development of inert column chemistries tailored for other active compound classes.
• Extension into environmental monitoring and food safety testing for volatile amines.

Conclusion

The Zebron ZB-624PLUS GC column offers an optimized solution for volatile amine analysis, combining superior deactivation, high sensitivity, and reproducible symmetric peaks that outperform existing 624 phase columns.

References

No external references were cited in this application note.