Introduction - Determination of Anions in Natural and Treated Waters - page 54

This instrument features five detectors (Table 1.9). In the flame ionisation detector, the
high-speed electrometer, which ensures a very low noise level, is best suited to trace
analysis and fast analysis using a capillary column.
Samples are never decomposed in the jet, which is made of quartz.
Carrier gas, hydrogen, air and make-up gas are separately flow-controlled. Flow rates
are read from the pressure flow-rate curves.
In the satellite system, one or more satellite gas chromatographs (GC 14 series) are
controlled by a core gas chromatograph (eg GC 16A series). Since the control is made
externally, the satellite gas chromatographs are not required to have control functions (the
keyboard unit is not necessary).
When a GC 16A series gas chromatograph is used as the core, various laboratory-
automation-oriented attachments such as barcode reader and a magnetic-card reader
become compatible: a labour-saving system can be built, in which the best operational
parameters are automatically set. Each satellite gas chromatograph (GC 14A series)
operates as an independent instrument when a keyboard unit is connected.
The IC card-operated gas chromatography system consists of a GC 14A series gas
chromatograph and a C-R5A Chromatopac data processor. All of the chromatographic
and data processing parameters are automatically set simply by inserting the particular IC
card. This system is very convenient when one GC system is used for the routine analysis
of several different types of samples.
One of the popular trends in laboratory automation is to arrange for a personal
computer to control the gas chromatograph and to receive data from the GC to be
processed as desired. Bilateral communication is made via the RS 232C interface built in
a GC 14A series gas chromatograph. A system can be built to meet requirements.
A multidimensional gas chromatography system (multi-stage column system) is
effective for analysis of difficult samples and can be built up by connecting several
column ovens, ie tandem GC systems, each of which has independent control functions
such as for temperature programming.
The Shimadzu GC 15A and GC 16A systems are designed not only as independent
high performance gas chromatographs but also as core instruments (see above) for multi-
gas-chromatography systems (ie several gas chromatographs in the laboratory linked to a
central management system) or computerised laboratory automation systems. The GC
16A has a keyboard, the GC 15A does not. Other details of these instruments are given in
Table 1.9. The Shimadzu GC 8A range of instruments do not have a range of built-in
detectors but are ordered either as temperature programmed instruments with TCD, FID
or FPD detectors, or as isothermal instruments with TCD, FID or ECD detectors (Table
1.9).
Perkin-Elmer
Perkin-Elmer supply a range of instruments including the basic models 8410 for packed
and capillary work and the 8420 for dedicated capillary work, both supplied on purchase
with one of the six different types of detection (Table 1.9). The models 8400 and 8500
are more sophisticated capillary column instruments capable of dual detection operation
with the additional features of keyboard operation, screen graphics method storage, host
computer links, data handling and compatibility with laboratory automation systems.