The fabrication of a microcolumn for gas separation using poly(dimethylsiloxane) as the structural and functional material

The fabrication and performance of a microcolumn made of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) for gas separation is presented. PDMS is a material commonly used as a stationary phase in large-scale chromatography systems, while in this work it serves both as the structural material of the microcolumn as well as a stationary phase enabling gas mixture separation by different absorption and desorption kinetics of the sample components on the column walls. Gas separation is demonstrated for a xylene/benzene vapor mixture at different ratios detected by means of a VOC sensor connected at the exit of the microcolumn. The effect of the microcolumn depth and working temperature on the separation performance of the microcolumn is investigated.