Application of a miniaturised packed gas chromatography column and a SnO2 gas detector for analysis of low molecular weight hydrocarbons with focus on ethylene detection

In this paper the combination and application of a silicon based miniaturised gas chromatography (GC) column packed with Carboxen 1000 and a gas detector based on a commercial SnO2 metal oxide sensor are described. Target analytes are gas mixtures containing hydrocarbons with low molecular weight from C1 and C2 and ethylene as main target gas. The detector achieved a resolution of at least 1 ppmv related to ethylene gas. The combination of the detector with the miniaturised GC-column provides a linear behaviour between the injected ethylene gas volume and the related peak area in the chromatogram with a resolution of 2 nl. Examination of the GC-performance gave HEPT-values of about 0.7 mm and chromatographic resolutions of 100% in most cases using a gas mixture containing CO2, nitrogen, acetylene, ethylene, methane and ethane with synthetic air as carrier gas.