A simple method for the preparation and injection of gas mixtures into a gas chromatograph using a two-component device

Abstract

Environmental sciences are expanding and are based on standardized and certified calibrations when measurements are required. When a gaseous composition is quantified, commercial standards are used. Here, we report on a two-component device for the preparation and injection of gas mixtures at the appropriate levels of pressure and volume. The two-component calibrator/injector can be used simultaneously or separately depending on the experimental objective but their combination is extremely effective for injecting gas mixtures at low concentrations. The quantity of gas introduced into a gas chromatograph with the injector can be adapted to the sensitivity of the detector or to avoid column overload. The calibrator provides for a large range of gas-mixture concentrations, from ppm to % mol/mol with an error of preparation of around 1% and an accuracy of less than 3%. This device prepares a variety of gas mixtures (hydrogen, methane and dioxide of carbon) which are compared with certified mixtures by means of gas chromatographic measurements. The results show good agreement between prepared and certified mixtures with a maximum difference of 2% which remains within the relative error of commercial standard. In addition, the preparation of dissolved methane at different concentrations in seawater is presented as a direct application of the calibrator.

Keywords: Carbon Dioxide; Gas chromatography; Gas mixtures; Hydrogen; Methane; Sampling valve.