Gas Chromatograph Laboratory
The
Test, Reliability & Evaluation Team provides a variety
of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) defense
services through the use of test chambers and analysis methods
in the Gas Chromatograph (GC) Laboratory. Through the use of
the chemical simulant Methyl Salicylate (MeS), we are able
to test equipment as if it were exposed to a chemical event.
Three separate test chambers and a clean room are utilized
to test a variety of items ranging from suits to filters to
equipment and clothing.
Our collection methods use sample sorbent tubes or Passive
Sampling Devices (PSDs) packed with Tenax TA 60/80. These PSDs
are exposed to the environment, evaluated and subsequently
analyzed in our state-of-the-art laboratory.
Our laboratory uses thermal desorption to extract the volatiles
(MeS) from the non-volatile matrix (Tenax TA 60/80) by heating
the sample in a stream of inert gas. The volatiles are then
swept in a stream of inert gas to a gas chromatograph for analysis.
The gas chromatographs are equipped with flame ionization detectors
to determine the amount of volatiles collected. An electrical
signal is generated from the ionization of the samples as it
is converted into a mass. This mass allows us to determine
the amount of simulant the equipment was exposed to.
Capabilities
- Analyze MeS concentrations in tubes or PSDs as low as 1ng.
- Analyze GC lab results to determine protection offered
by CBRN equipment and suits.
Equipment
- Sorbent Sampling Tubes
- Stainless steel tube (90mm long by 6.35mm outside diameter)
- Tenax TA 60/80 adsorbent
- (2) Perkin Elmer Automatic Thermal Desorption Systems (ATD
400s)
- 50 sample autosampler
- Temperature programmable
- Three sample analysis methods
- (2) Perkin Elmer Autosystem Gas Chromatographs
- Zebron ZB-1 30m L x 0.25mm ID x 1.00μmdf capillary column
- Flame Ionization Detector
- Integration Software
- Perkin Elmer’s TotalChrom software
- Auxiliary Equipment
- Nitrogen, Hydrogen and Zero Air Generators
