GC Inlet Liner Selection: An Introduction

GC inlet liners play an important role in GC sample introduction. The sample's first contact is with the liner and from there it is transferred to the analytical column. In the case of liquid injections, the sample must be vaporized inside of the liner prior to transfer.  Choosing a proper inlet liner for your analysis is critical, as it can affect both analyte recovery, as well as injection to injection reproducibility.  Inertness must also be considered, especially when analyzing active compounds, such as pesticides, acids, or bases.

Liner selection can sometimes seem like a daunting task, because there are so many configurations available, including different shapes, sizes, packings, such as wool, etc.  The best liner is going to depend on your sample type, nature of analytes, and injection type.

In the following blog series, I would like to discuss selection of liners for split and splitless liquid injections, based on optimizing performance.  I will also blog about the importance of liner inertness with regards to these analyses.  I hope this upcoming series will be useful to anyone who is confused by the myriad of liners available and wonders if they are actually using the best liner for their analysis.