Implementation of a microprocessor based temperature controller for a high resolution gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer

The interfacing of a temperature-programmed microchip gas chromatograph (GC) with a mass spectrometer (MS) has been developed to produce a field-deployable analytical system. The instrument consists of combining the speed and resolution of the microchip GC system with the power and the definitive compound identify confirmation capability of a mass-specific detector. The relatively small physical size of the GC/MS system makes it attractive for use in field situations. The authors describe the interfacing of the microchip GC and the mass spectrometer and the implementation of a microprocessor-based temperature controller for the microchip GC/MS. The controller used a small thermoelectric heat pump (Peltier device) for a temperature-programmed microchip GC. The addition of temperature programming of the analytical column has enhanced the performance of this system for quantitative analysis. The temperature programming and control of the GC liquid phase improves the sensitivity and peak shapes of all the compounds during an analytical run. Test results of the temperature programming and chromatographs from the microchip GC/MS are presented