Changing from helium to nitrogen carrier gas in gas chromatography while maintaining separation efficiency and analysis time

In two recent ChromaBLOGraphy posts (see links below) I described the experimental implementation of an idea Jaap de Zeeuw had to use nitrogen carrier gas for GC while maintaining the same separation efficiency and analysis time as what could be achieved by helium carrier gas. Wait, that’s impossible, right?!  Not if you go from a 30m x 0.25mm x 0.25µm column using helium to a 20m x 0.15mm x 0.15µm column using nitrogen, as Jaap planned by using our EZGC Method Translator and Flow Calculator.  Rather than blather on about it here, I encourage you to read the recent Cover Story article we just published in The Column (October 26, 2015; Volume 11, Issue 19).  While there is some overlap with the blog posts for this article, we also included some newly acquired ruggedness data for the 0.15mm x 0.15µm column approach, given that being less tolerant of “dirt” could be one of the downsides of going to a smaller diameter.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the robustness of our 0.15mm columns!

P.S. If you’ve been reading my last few ChromaBLOGraphy posts, you’ve probably already guessed that the nitrogen 0.15mm column approach benefits by using “shoot-and-dilute” GC.