How a SATRA Lab Used LPGC to Cut Helium Use by 89% and Run Times by 50%
In this roundtable discussion, Restek’s Whitney Dudek-Salisbury sits down to talk with chemists from SATRA to learn how they made some remarkable productivity improvements in their lab. By switching a time-consuming, conventional GC-MS method for azo dye arylamines to a much faster low-pressure GC-MS (LPGC) method, they significantly reduced both analysis time and helium consumption. Let’s hear their story.
Whitney: Thank you for joining me today. Can you start by telling us a bit about your organization and the work you do?
Rebecca: Of course, Whitney. SATRA is an independent research and testing organization accredited by UKAS to ISO 17025. Most of our work in the chemistry laboratory involves routine testing of customer samples of footwear, leather, and PPE products. Turnaround time and instrument capacity are crucial to maintaining customer satisfaction and meeting tight deadlines.
Whitney: That sounds interesting but also very challenging. From my own experience in the lab, I can certainly understand how important instrument cycle time and capacity are to keeping a lab running efficiently. What are some of the analyses that you run most often?
George: One of the most frequently run methods in our chemistry laboratory is for azo dyes. We perform these tests multiple times each week, primarily on textile samples, although we also test leather samples. We were analyzing these samples using a conventional GC-MS method, but we were consuming a lot of helium which, as you know, is expensive and in short supply. In addition, the long analysis times and large number of samples could make it tough to meet tight turnaround times.
The chemistry lab at SATRA significantly reduced helium use and increased sample throughput by switching to LPGC.
Whitney: I understand you've recently switched to using low-pressure GC-MS (LPGC). How has this change impacted your testing process?
Rebecca: We’ve seen significant improvements in several areas. Switching from conventional GC-MS to LPGC has reduced our run time for arylamines by more than 50%, including GC ready time. The data for a single sample is now available for analysis four times faster, allowing us to complete larger runs within the 24-hour window stated in the EN 14362-1 and EN 17236-1 methods. This also speeds up dilutions and reruns, reducing the chance of sample deterioration and eliminating delays in reporting. In addition, the LPGC method reduced our helium consumption for arylamines analysis by 89%!
Whitney: That's impressive! Have you also seen cost savings with this new method?
Rebecca: Yes, we've estimated cost savings of over £1500 on helium consumption per year due to the reduced flow rate and rapid analysis time. We hope to increase this as we trial LPGC on other methods.
Whitney: Can you tell us about the initial discussions and decisions that led to adopting LPGC?
George: We were meeting one day to discuss the feasibility of switching our existing instruments and methods from helium to hydrogen to save money and address helium supply shortages. This would have required a significant investment and raised safety concerns, making it a long-term project. However, during our meeting, I received an email from Restek about LPGC. It seemed like a fantastic way to save money and time with minimal outlay.
Installing an LPGC column kit is simple because the analytical and restrictor columns are factory connected at Restek.
Whitney: How did you proceed after learning about LPGC?
George: I arranged a meeting with our Restek rep, Sally Poole, who provided more information about the LPGC technique as well as a Restek method for arylamines. Sally was very supportive and helped us trial LPGC by arranging a column for method development.
Whitney: How did the trial runs go?
Rebecca: In the lab, we conducted a few test runs and were able to identify all the amines that we look for. The speed of the samples running through the column made method development extremely quick. Although some amines coeluted slightly, we could still identify all of the peaks using SIM.
Whitney: What were the results of using LPGC?
Rebecca: The results were exactly what we were looking for. We reduced our run time from about 40 minutes (plus GC ready time) to just over 15 minutes. The faster analysis shown here also immediately reduced our helium consumption by 89%, which is a fantastic achievement for us!
SATRA’s LPGC method for arylamines reduced run time by more than 50% and helium use by 89%.
| Peaks | tR (min) | Conc. (µg/mL) | Quant Ion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Aniline | 1.346 | 1168.16 | 93 |
| 2. | o-Toluidine | 1.582 | 11.76 | 106 |
| 3. | Xylidine | 1.843 | 11.86 | 121 |
| 4. | o-Anisidine | 1.936 | 11.94 | 108 |
| 5. | 4-Chloroaniline | 2.042 | 12.05 | 127 |
| 6. | p-Cresidine | 2.247 | 12.07 | 122 |
| 7. | 2,4,5-Trimethylaniline | 2.253 | 11.93 | 120 |
| 8. | 1,4-Phenylenediamine | 2.365 | 12.19 | 108 |
| 9. | 4-Chloro-o-toluidine | 2.371 | 11.95 | 143 |
| 10. | 2,4-Diaminotoluene | 2.815 | 11.93 | 122 |
| 11. | 2,4-Diamionanisole | 3.161 | 12.13 | 123 |
| Peaks | tR (min) | Conc. (µg/mL) | Quant Ion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | 2-Napthylamine | 3.385 | 11.90 | 143 |
| 13. | 4-Aminobiphenyl | 4.033 | 12.02 | 169 |
| 14. | 4,4'-Oxydianiline | 5.249 | 12.31 | 200 |
| 15. | 4,4'-Methylenedianiline | 5.274 | 12.18 | 198 |
| 16. | Benzidine-d8 | 5.28 | 5.26 | 192 |
| 17. | Benzidine | 5.286 | 12.27 | 184 |
| 18. | 4,4'-Methylenedi-o-toluidine | 5.691 | 12.16 | 226 |
| 19. | 3,3'-Dimethylbenzidine | 5.747 | 12.16 | 212 |
| 20. | 4,4'-Thiodianiline | 6.003 | 12.62 | 216 |
| 21. | 3,3'-Dichlorobenzidine | 6.097 | 12.28 | 252 |
| 22. | 4,4'-Methylene-bis(2-chloroaniline) | 6.103 | 12.38 | 231 |
| 23. | o-Dianisidine | 6.147 | 12.59 | 244 |
| Column | LPGC Rxi-35Sil MS column kit, includes 10 m x 0.32 mm ID x 0.25 µm Rxi-35Sil MS analytical column and 5 m x 0.15 mm ID Rxi restrictor factory connected via SilTite connector (cat.# 11806) |
|---|---|
| Standard/Sample | Custom aryl amine standard |
| Diluent: | Acetonitrile |
| Injection | |
| Inj. Vol.: | 0.75 µL splitless |
| Inj. Temp.: | 280 °C |
| Oven | |
| Oven Temp.: | 55 °C (hold 0.5 min) to 100 °C at 70 °C/min to 300 °C at 35 °C/min |
| Carrier Gas | He, constant flow |
| Flow Rate: | 0.8 mL/min |
| Detector | SIM/Scan | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scan Program: | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Transfer Line Temp.: | 300 °C | ||||||||
| Analyzer Type: | Quadrupole | ||||||||
| Source Temp.: | 230 °C | ||||||||
| Quad Temp.: | 150 °C | ||||||||
| Electron Energy: | 70 eV | ||||||||
| Tune Type: | PFTBA | ||||||||
| Ionization Mode: | EI | ||||||||
| Notes | Data collected by SATRA, an accredited, independent research and testing organization in the UK. | ||||||||
Whitney: How has this change affected your daily operations?
George: As an end user, having a much quicker run allows me to increase sample throughput and reduce bottlenecks in testing. We plan to trial LPGC for other multicomponent tests that we run regularly, starting with our phthalates method, which can also take over 40 minutes.
Whitney: You’ve really made some great improvements to your arylamine method; are you already using it for customer samples?
George: Yes, we have moved on to running live customer jobs with LPGC. The results have been great, and the speed allows us to check our standards and QC samples before going home, identifying potential problems early. This has been extremely beneficial for our analysts, including myself, as we can process a whole run in one go when we get in the following day.
Whitney: This is a great example of how innovative solutions can help overcome traditional analytical challenges. Stories like this inspire all of us to keep pushing the boundaries of what can be done. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us!
Interested in other LPGC applications? Learn more at www.restek.com/LPGC
More About SATRA
SATRA is an independent research and testing organization with facilities in the UK, Europe, and China. As well as testing and certifying products and components to European and international standards across a wide range of industry sectors, we accredit laboratories; design, manufacture, and install test equipment; and provide production efficiency solutions to customers around the world. SATRA is renowned as a leading technical authority for footwear and leather but also has world-class expertise in areas as diverse as furnishings, floor coverings, and PPE.
Learn more at www.satra.com