Laboratory Gas Chromatography and GC-MS Solutions

Diablo Analytical, Inc. has extensive experience in analytical method development for both Gas Chromatography and GC-MS across a broad range of industry applications.

Summary of Solutions

Custom GC and MS methods
Valve sampling and switching solutions
Custom automation and software solutions
Quotation and Purchasing Information

Custom GC and MS Methods

GC Column Selection

GC column selection is critical for successful applications. The right column can result in a robust method, while the wrong column can produce variable or sample-dependant results. Column choice must also be matched to sample and analyte type, injection conditions, detector requirements and system GC resolution. Method development requires an experienced person to choose the best column for an application.

Inlet Selection and External Sampling Devices

Split and splitless injection is used for most GC applications. However, other inlets can provide critical advantages for samples that can not be analyzed with a split inlet. Modern on-column injectors and PTV inlets are reliable and automated. Other inlets are also used for special applications: APEX, thermal desorption, pyrolysis, headspace, purge and trap, etc. Diablo can help determine the best inlet configuration to use for your application.

Detector Selection

Many detectors are available for Gas Chromatography. In choosing the best detector to use for a particular application, one must consider the obvious attributes like detection limits, linearity, and selectivity. However, less-obvious characteristics like robustness and ease of use may be equally important. Custom software and macros can often help simplify the use of detectors, and can also help automate the processing and presentation of results.

Valve Sampling and Switching Solutions

Diablo Analytical, Inc. designs and automates custom valve configurations. We specialize in higher- value applications that are not available or unlikely to be successful from major vendors.

Main Oven Sampling and Switching Valves

Valves can be placed into the main Agilent Technologies 6890 GC oven or placed in a separate heated location. Valve types include sampling, two-position switching and multi-position stream-selection valves. A particular valve configuration reflects both the sampling requirements and column and detector configuration.

Multi-port Sample-stream Selection

Diablo incorporates VICI (Valco) valve and control technology into an enclosure designed for manufacturing or lab environments. Diablo's MPValve software provides computer control of the stream-selection system. The system is designed to operate in a fully automated mode with the Agilent ChemStation or other data system, or it can be operated under manual control.

Auxiliary Heated Valves

Diablo Analytical, Inc. can locate automated sampling valves in several locations on the Agilent 6890 GC. Serviceability and temperature requirements are important considerations.

Carrier Gas Control

Although carrier gas control is available on Agilent 6890 GC systems, carrier gas purity and flow requirements can be important considerations in certain applications. Diablo has designed and built high-purity pneumatic systems for those kind of demanding applications.

Sampling System Inertness

GC results, particularly in trace analysis, can be compromised due to analyte loss in the sampling system. The sampling system must minimize adsorption or condensation loss. Special materials of construction and sampling system design can help reduce this problem. Diablo has a great deal of experience with the design and specification of sampling systems for trace analysis.

Custom Automation and Software Solutions

The programmers at Diablo Analytical have been creating custom software solutions for chemical measurement applications for more than a decade. We combine Agilent GC and MS ChemStation macros with Visual Basic (or VBA) applications to solve specific data processing problems. A few example projects that we have completed are listed below.

Simplified User Interface for Agilent GC and LC ChemStations

One-button control of an Agilent GC or LC ChemStation Sequence. The Simplified User Interface (SUI) greatly simplifies the operation of the ChemStation. See our Simplified User Interface product page for more information. We have developed custom versions of the SUI software to address specific customer requirements. Please contact Diablo Analytical for more information.

Multi-position Valve Control Software

Diablo's MPValve software can be used to automate one or more VICI (Valco) multi-position valves for applications like stream and column selection. MPValve has been used to add multi-position valve control to a number of different chromatographic data systems.

Standard Compound Chromatogram Database

Diablo developed a set of ChemStation macros that allow "standard" chromatograms to be retrieved and compared automatically to a sample chromatogram in a post run report. This automated database saved the client a significant amount of time over the previous manual comparison procedure they had been using.

Custom Simulated Distillation Applications

Diablo developed a set of custom Simulated Distillation applications to perform D2887 and D3710 analyses. These SimDis applications included extensive QA/QC evaluations of data quality and custom report formats that were specified by the client.

Gas System Monitor

When analyzing toxic or pyrophoric specialty gases, it is critical that the gas sampling system be operating properly before performing an analysis. Diablo wrote a custom application that monitored several sampling system pressure and flow sensors, and would prevent the Agilent ChemStation from starting an analysis if the sampling system wasn't ready.

Sequence Summary and Data Transfer to Microsoft Excel

Diablo has written several different sequence summary macros for the Agilent ChemStation. These macros typically create comma-delimited text files containing a client-specified summary of the results for all the runs in a sequence. These macros have also been configured to "poke" sequence summary results into Microsoft Excel.

Automated Data Transfer to LabView

LabView is a commonly-used process control, data acquisition and data analysis program developed by National Instruments. Diablo has written Agilent ChemStation macros that automatically transfer the results of a ChemStation run to LabView for real-time process control applications.

Automated Data Transfer to LIMS

Diablo has written several applications that automate the transfer of analytical results into Laboratory Information Managements Systems (LIMS). Our clients often use custom LIMS systems that require custom data transfer approaches.

Quotation and Purchasing Information

Please contact Diablo Analytical to discuss your specific application requirements and to receive a project quotation.

Diablo Analytical, Inc.
5141 Lone Tree Way
Antioch, CA 94531

Phone: (925) 755-1005
Fax: (925) 755-1007

E-Mail: info@diabloanalytical.com