Industry: Environmental
Instrument: 3100 Purge and Trap Sample Concentrator
Comparative Analysis of Tekmar 3000 and 3100 Purge and Trap Sample Concentrators: Performance Evaluation Between Electroform Nickel and Silcosteelcoated Sample Pathways
The Tekmar 3100 Sample Concentrator represents an improvement to the 3000 Purge and Trap product line. Silcosteel® tubing and Silcosteel-treated sample fittings are used throughout the sample pathway of the 3100. Silcosteel treatment involves a process that shields active metal surfaces. A thin, silicon-based coating is applied to the metal surface, which keeps analytes from adsorbing onto active sites on the metal. As a result, there is enhanced inertness, corrosion resistance, and reduced adsorption. The 3100 Sample Concentrator also has a redesigned valve oven and mount temperature control that improves temperature uniformity of the heated sample pathway. This helps reduce carryover, condensation and adsorption. Prior to the introduction of the 3100 with Silcosteel, the sample pathway consisted of electroform nickel and fittings constructed with electroless nickel plating. Difficulties can occur in the analysis of thermally labile analytes, high boiling compounds, volatile organic sulfur compounds, and some environmental target compounds such as 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane. These compounds are targeted for evaluation because they are prone to break down and adsorption onto active metal surfaces. In this paper, the results of a comparison study between samples evaluated using a Silcosteel sample pathway in the 3100 Sample Concentrator and an electroform nickel sample pathway in the 3000 Sample Concentrator will be presented and discussed.
The goal of any analytical method is to provide precise, reproducible results. Problems can be encountered if there are sites in the analytical system which permit condensation or adsorption to occur. The incorporation of Silcosteel-treated tubings and fittings in purge and trap systems provides an inert sample pathway that prevents adsorption from occurring. The Tekmar 3100 Sample Concentrator possesses a sample pathway and fittings that are completely shielded with a Silcosteel coating. The Tekmar 3000 Sample Concentrator contains an electroform nickel sample pathway. Over time, difficulties have arisen with the electroform nickel resulting in breakdown and adsorption of particular analytes. For this paper, a comprehensive study is performed on both the Tekmar 3100 and Tekmar 3000 Sample Concentrators and the results are compared.
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