Multidimensional HRGC for sample components with a wide range of volatilities and polarities

A diverse mixture of volatile headspace analytes containing compounds with boiling points covering a range from −196°c to 145°c can be separated in approximately 40 minutes by multidimensional HRGC. The described provisional MD‐HRGC Systems employ cryogenic sample collection, four 0.53 mm FSOT columns, and multi‐ramp temperature programming of either one or two ovens. Enhanced sensitivity for organic species and minimal interference from water vapour in the samples can be obtained by a MD‐HRGC configuration that uses separate ovens, appropriate column switching operations, and TCD + FID detection.