CHROMtalks - Troubleshooting in GC is Done Before You Inject

In gas chromatography, the best troubleshooting is prevention; if the problem does not happen, it does not need to be troubleshooted. In this presentation, Nicholas will discuss prevention from two angles. First, we will examine simple daily, weekly and periodic checks and validations that can be routinely performed to be sure your gas chromatograph is operating at peak performance and to anticipate troubleshooting and maintenance before it is needed. It is best to maintain and repair problems on your own schedule, before a problem arises, not after. Second, we will examine hidden errors that occur prior to and during injections that are endemic to sample preparation and injection; these occur before the separation but can have a dramatic impact instrument performance and quantitation.

Topics include:

• The value of preventive maintenance in GC
• Daily, weekly, and periodic system checks
• Routine validations to ensure peak instrument performance
• Scheduling maintenance proactively vs. reactively
• Common hidden errors in sample preparation and injection
• How pre-injection issues affect separation, performance, and quantitation
• Practical strategies to minimize downtime and improve data quality