Resources - Text

L6.13 GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
Resources - Text

A number of textual resources are available that support gas chromatography. Below are those which have been identified by Materials for Instruction Development Teams as being particularly useful. Most web links are direct to the text information on the publisher web sites. However, on the Wiley web site, you may be required to enter your country before you are taken directly to the text information. Direct links to the publisher web sites are also given in case URLs to specific books are changed.

Analytical Chemistry for Technicians (2nd Edition), by J. Kenkel
Copyright © 1994; Boca Raton: CRC Press, Inc.

Analytical Chemistry for Technicians, 2nd Edition includes two sections pertinent to Gas Chromatography, one on analytical separations, the other is dedicated to gas chromatography. They present gas chromatography aimed at those who are being trained to become chemical technicians. The emphasis is on practical matters such as types of chromatography, configurations, basic instrument design, sample injection, columns, detectors, data treatment and troubleshooting. Also included are laboratory activities, which can be used to illustrate these concepts and ìhomework exercisesî designed to facilitate student learning. An instructors manual is also available.

Analytical Chemistry Refresher Manual, by J. Kenkel
Copyright © 1992; Boca Raton : CRC Press, Inc.

Chapters 8 an 9 of the Analytical Chemistry Refresher Manual are particularly useful for those who need a brief overview of topics related to gas chromatography. General concepts covered include types of chromatography, configurations, basic instrument design, sample injection, columns, detectors, data treatment, and troubleshooting.

Basic Gas Chromatography, by Harold M. McNair, & James M. Miller
Copyright © 1998, New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Basic Gas Chromatography could be used as a required text or for general reference for a second year course, provided that students have a simplified introduction to the subject first. Supplements, such as experiments and ancillary materials (practical explanations, implications for theory, assessment questions, etc.) would be helpful.

Topics include detailed coverage of components, the uses of GC as an analytical tool, GC-MS, special sampling methods such as headspace analysis and derivitization, and troubleshooting. The appendix includes a list of vendors of Gas Chromatography and supplies, and additional print and nonprint resources. Although billed as an introduction to GC, this should be considered advanced material for two-year college students.

GC Reference and Troubleshooting Guide
Copyright © 1998; J&W Scientific Incorporated: Folsom

The GC Reference and Troubleshooting Guide, which is available free as part of the catalogue, offers an extremely practical treatment of GC. J&W Scientific is a manufacturer of columns, but this guide also includes discussion of carrier gases, injectors, detectors, and analytical methods development. The troubleshooting table is not illustrated by chromatograms, but is adequate. Technicians who actually used this material suggest that a preliminary introductory-level overview of GC theory and instrumentation would be useful before getting into this intermediate to advanced-level material.

Gas Chromatography (2nd ed.), by Ian A. Fowlis
of the Analytical Chemistry by Open Learning series
Copyright © 1995, Chichester: John Wiley & Sons

This text includes learning objectives and self-assessment exercises and was designed for a self-paced distance education course. It is a reader friendly, practical resource that promotes critical thinking. It includes the following topics: principles of GC as a separation tool, components of a Gas Chromatograph, data handling systems, quantitative and qualitative analysis, special sample preparation methods, and methods for environmental analysis. A word of warning: the terminology and some practices reflect United Kingdom useage, and may need some translation.

Gas Chromatography, by Mary Jane Van Sant
from Instrumental Techniques for Analytical Chemistry, Frank Settle (Ed.).
Copyright © 1997, New Jersey: Prentice Hall PTR.

This text provides an introduction to techniques of gas chromatography; it is not intended to provide a rigorous treatment of the subject. References at the end of the chapter cite pertinent cited publication for more in-depth and academic study. Nevertheless, this text covers a wide range of topics including principles of GC; uses of GC as an analytical tool; components of a gas chromatograph; relationship between retention time and resolution to the characterization of mixtures; detectors and detection limits; the effects of column length to separation; major vendors of gas chromatographic instruments; and more. A link to pertinent information and/or suppliers will be provided here.

Modern Chemical Technology (Volumes I and II), by Harry G. Hajian, and Robert L. Pecsok
Copyright © 1989,1990, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

These companion volumes offer an extremely practical treatment of gas chromatography for chemical technician education. They include theory, experiments, and end-of -chapter exercises. The topics are integrated into the appropriate chemistry concepts, and the level advances from introductory to advanced as the student progresses through training over a two-year period of time.

For example, Volume I, Chapter 2, provides a view of GC as a separation tool, and includes the basic principles of the instrument components, and an introduction to qualitative analysis; Chapter 11 "Bonding", relates column separation to the concepts of solubility and other factors influencing GC separation; Chapter 13, "Equilibrium", uses GC as a tool for examining an equilibrium reation, and introduces quantitative analysis.

In Volume II, GC is used as an analytical tool throughout the material on organic chemistry. Chapter 18 returns to a more detailed look at instrument components, column stationary phases, temperature programming, data analysis, and quantitative methods using internal standards, standard addition, and area normalization.

GC Inlets - An Introduction (Copyright © 1994)
Detectors for Gas Chromatography: A Practical Primer (Copyright © 1991)
These excellent introductory books have been available from Hewlett-Packard at no cost for a number of years. The former surveys inlet selection and all possible type of inlets for sample introduction into a GC. The latter covers general characteristics of GC detectors and then describes 13 detectors in great detail. While a search of their publication site indicates that these may be out of print, they still may be available through technical support.

Modern Practice of Gas Chromatography, Robert L. Grob, Ed.
1995, Wiley-Interscience

Perhaps the most comprehensive (888 pages) of all available GC references, this book is a compilation of chapters by noted authorities on GC. Sections include Theory and Basics, Techniques and Instrumentation, and Applications, and within these sections are numerous subtopics. Applications areas covered are physiochemical measurements, petroleum, polymers, clinical, forensic and environmental.

A Practical Guide to the Care, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting of Capillary Gas Chromatographic Systems, 3rd Ed, by Dean Rood.
Copyright © 1999, Wiley-VCH

This is one of the best reference books for technicians. Written in clear and understandable terms, with a minimum of theory, this reference exhaustively covers maintenance and problem solving for capillary GC systems. Topics include an introduction, basic definitions and equations, tubing, stationary phases, column dimensions, carrier gases, injectors, detectors, column installation, test mixtures, causes and prevention of column damage, and troubleshooting.

Although these texts may be out of print, they offer an excellent model for instructional design.

Practical Techniques for Laboratory Analysis offers practical tips for laboratory analysis in an easy, conversational style. Topics include sample preparation, components of a gas chromatograph, set-up and operation, routine maintenance and troubleshooting. It is written for working chemists and technicians with special focus on optimization and improving operations. It also is good for lab management, quality assurance, and AA/ICP. Although it is probably best suited for an advanced instrumental analysis course, the approach is appropriate for intermediate instruction.

The Troubleshooting Guide: How to Locate Gas Chromatography Problems and Solve Them Yourself is one of the best troubleshooting guides available for chemical technology. This intermediate-level material offers a systematic approach with tables that illustrate symptoms. Troubleshooting may be especially useful for students wishing to familiarize themselves with as many symptoms as possible. Some instructors asked students to three-hole punch their copy, put into a binder, and use throughout the semester as a ready-reference handbook. The numerous symptoms in Troubleshooting are ideal for asking questions such as, "What would cause this particular symptom, and what would you do to correct the problem?"

Chromatographic Systems: Maintenance and Troubleshooting, Second Edition, by John Q. Walker, Minor T. Jackson, Jr. and James B. Maynard.
Copyright © 1977, Academic Press

Over two-thirds of this book (~250 pages) is dedicated to GC maintenance and troubleshooting. While somewhat dated, there is still a great wealth of information in the book, particularly in identifying specific problem and finding solutions.

Note: Out of print texts may be readily searched for using Amazon.com on the web. Links to appropriate pages on that site are given for the above texts, where available.

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