Use of Xenon and Krypton as Carrier Gases for a Highly Sensitive Detection System for Gas Chromatography

Abstract

IN recent communications from this laboratory1,2 a new and highly sensitive ionization system for the detection of permanent gases and organic vapours by gas chromato-graphy has been described. When argon (mol. wt. 39.9) was used as a carrier gas, both the substantial response to fixed gas samples and the development of a sensitivity maxima which occurred at low voltages (1–2 V) were thought to be due to electron drift velocity phenomena and/or complex ion formation. In order further to elucidate the mechanism responsible for the response of permanent gases in this system, studies utilizing higher molecular weight monoatomic gases of high purity as the eluting gas have been recently carried out. The response to various polyatomic sample gases, using krypton (mol. wt. 83.8) or xenon (mol. wt. 131.3) as carrier (Table 1) was approximately two or three times greater, respectively, than that previously noted with argon^1,2.