A novel focusing injection technique for chemiluminescent detection of volatile sulfur compounds separated by HRGC

A one meter stainless steel capillary column coated with a 20μm film of polydimethylsiloxane was used to replace the Teflon gas sampling loop of a HRGC – flameless SCD system. This column trap was equilibrated with the gaseous sample and then purged with carrier gas while being sequentially, resistively heated in ten 10 cm sections. The sequential heating of the 10cm sections was timed such that the velocity of the moving heated zone was approximately the same as the velocity of the carrier gas. The thick stationary phase film served to retard the front end of the injection band while the ballistic heating accelerated the back end. The net result was focusing of the injection, which gave rise to a narrower injection profile than that obtained with the original Teflon loop.