New And Notable At Pittcon: Chromatography & Separations

Falcon displayed the Calidus microGC, which the company developed to be “faster, smaller, smarter, easier, and greener” than traditional gas chromatographs. Like its namesake, a subspecies of falcon called Falco peregrinus subsp. calidus, the GC is fast and compact. The instrument, available in lab and on-line process models, uses a rapid resistive heating system instead of an air convection oven to heat the columns to achieve 10–50 times faster sample throughput than standard GCs. This design significantly reduces its size: The lab model weighs 25 lb and is about the height and width of a sheet of paper and 17 inches long. LineUp software from InfoMetrix helps users eliminate peak misidentification and reduces the need for costly calibration sample runs. Calidus consumes less than 300 W of electricity during operation, which is much less than the 3,000-W consumption rates of standard GCs. It can be fitted with one- or two-column modules and with flame ionization or thermal conductivity detectors for GC or GC/GC analysis, in particular for petroleum exploration, production, and refining applications.

(8) Agilent launched Intelligent System Emulation Technology for its 1290 Infinity UHPLC, which allows the instrument to emulate other liquid chromatograph systems. In short, it gives researchers the ability to seamlessly transfer methods from any liquid chromatograph, regardless of the brand or type, to carry out any high-performance or ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography method to achieve the same retention time and peak resolution. The technology works by using software to tightly control the 1290 Infinity’s pumps and sample injection to alter solvent delay volumes and solvent mixing leading up to the column and the solvent concentration gradient during sample elution. The emulation technology is optimal for methods development labs, quality assurance/quality control departments, and contract research and manufacturing organizations that run standard methods required for regulatory reporting. It enables those units to replace an instrument or transfer methods between labs and avoid redevelopment and revalidation costs, as well as to take advantage of the ultra-high-performance speed, resolution, and sensitivity not possible on older instruments.

(9) Modular SFC presented the Centrifan PE personal evaporation system, an alternative to traditional lab rotary evaporators for reducing or removing solvent from a sample. The portable device uses a novel, recirculating evaporation technique in which a spinning rotor with fan blades generates a high flow rate of drying gas, which is directed onto the surface of the solvent in standard-sized scintillation vials. The rotor generates centrifugal force to keep the solute pressed in the vials, preventing compound loss. Evaporating solvent flows through a secondary loop with a dry-ice cold trap where it is condensed, a design that prevents release of any solvent fumes. Because it is a closed-loop system and operates without a vacuum, the Centrifan avoids the potential for cross-contamination and sample loss—including radiolabeled and highly toxic samples—caused by solvent bumping and foaming. The technique eliminates the need for a vacuum pump or a large supply of blowdown gas, significantly reducing cost, noise, and maintenance compared with rotary evaporators, vacuum centrifuges, and conventional blowdown equipment.