Overview:

Helium has been the most widely used carrier gas for capillary GC applications. However, increases in worldwide helium demand combined with shortages in helium availability have many laboratories facing cutbacks in supply and higher prices. To help address laboratory concerns about helium price and availability Agilent Technologies has introduced a new accessory that helps gas chromatographers greatly reduce helium consumption.

Compared to change to an alternate carrier gas, helium conservation eliminates the need for method revalidation; a major hurdle faced by laboratories that switch to alternative carrier gases. This presentation will introduce the new conservation tool, describe its operation, and provide examples of cost savings under typical operating conditions.

This presentation will also discuss the merits of carrier gas alternatives and approaches to converting existing helium GC methods to the use of nitrogen or hydrogen. Examples will be shown using ASTM and CEN industry standard methods.

Who should attend?

• GC users, including those using GC for environmental, toxicology, food, and energy and chemical applications.

• Management personnel concerned about escalating cost of helium, or with concerns about disruption of business due to disruption of supply.

• GC operators and method development personnel interested in transitioning from helium to hydrogen or nitrogen carrier gas

• Operators interested in optimizing system performance with hydrogen or nitrogen vs. helium carrier.