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Maxxam Analytics’HRMS team (left to right):
Owen Cosby, Kay Shaw, and Angel Guerrero.
Maxxam Analytics recently presented a
Kaizen award to their High Resolution Mass
Spectrometry (HRMS) Department at the
Mississauga laboratory in Ontario. The award rec-
ognized process improvements made possible
by switching to a Restek Rtx®-Dioxin2 column to
increase instrument capacity.
The Mississauga lab analyzes drinking water for
2,3,7,8-TCDD only using EPA Method 1613. They
had been analyzing these short-list samples on the
same instrument used for full-list PCDD/PCDF and
PCB congeners, which limited their capacity. Maxxam had also confirmed the presence of
2,3,7,8-TCDF using a different column on another instrument. Since the Rtx®-Dioxin2 column
provides isomer specificity for both 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,3,7,8 TCDF and has high temperature
stability, the HRMS group explored using it for both 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,3,7,8-TCDF.
By moving to an Rtx®-Dioxin2 column (cat.# 10758),
they optimized the TCDD-only analysis and reduced
run time from 50 to 30 minutes! (EPA 1613 requires
a minimum retention time for the labeled 1,2,3,4-
TCDD of 25 minutes, so results were close to ideal.)
The analysis time for the TCDF confirmation analysis
was not significantly reduced, but run cycle time was
decreased by taking advantage of the column’s 340 °C
thermal stability, resulting in lower estimated detec-
tion limits and less bleed compared to the columns they had used previously. In addition,
the higher maximum programmable temperature allows analysts to use high-temperature
holds and reduce the potential for carryover contamination.
Questions From You
Our Technical Service specialists field an
astounding variety of questions from our
customers. Today’s featured topic is a Restek
innovation that extends the life of your inlet
seal: the reversible Flip Seal™ inlet seal.
Q: Are there recommended GC
inlet liner types for use with Flip
Seal™ inlet seals?
A: Restek recommends a 4 mm ID Sky™
single taper liner with wool (cat.# 23303.1)
for splitless injections and a 4 mm ID Sky™
Precision® liner with wool (cat.# 23305.1)
for split injections. The thoroughly deacti-
vated Sky™ wool provides excellent sample
homogenization during either splitless or split
injection, which increases repeatability and
accuracy. In addition, wool keeps liquid sam-
ple from being deposited on the inlet seal,
where contact with hot metal can degrade
thermally sensitive compounds, or where less
volatile, higher molecular weight compounds
of interest can be lost. Wool also protects the
GC column from non-volatile sample “dirt,”
preserving the column’s chromatographic
performance, especially for difficult to analyze
compounds.
We just released a full FAQ on the Flip Seal™
inlet seal! The answers to all of your questions
can be found at
- Jack Cochran
Director of New Business & Technology
Wrestling with a question of your own?
Call 1-800-356-1688, ext. 4, or e-mail
today!
Restek is Expanding!
In the past year, we were fortunate enough to welcome dozens of talented employee-owners
to Restek as we continue to grow and fill newly created positions. We wanted to specifically
highlight a few of them here since you will likely meet them at events, talk to them on the
phone, or read one of their articles in this issue. We’re looking forward to working with them
and developing new analytical solutions for you!
Another Restek Success Story:
Maxxam Analytics Group
Receives Award After Switching
to the Rtx®-Dioxin2 Column
“Using the Rtx®-Dioxin2 column…
we shortened run times, reduced
instrument downtime and column
changes, and increased instrument
capacity for our full-list samples.”
-Owen Cosby, Maxxam Analytics
Scott Adams | GC Accessories Product Marketing
Manager
Eisho Beythaji | Pacific Northwest Field Sales
Representative
Paul Connolly | LC Product Marketing Manager
Chris Denicola | LC Market Research Manager
Thi Do | Southwest Field Sales Representative
Jason Herrington | Air Innovations Chemist
Tim Hines | VP of Operations
Ravindra Rane | New England Field Sales
Representative
Chris Rattray | Environmental Innovations Chemist
Nancy Schwartz | Technical Service Specialist
Charles“Chas”Simons | Technical Service Manager
Trent Sprenkle | Corporate Account Representative
Interested in joining our team?
Check out today!
Since the lab was able to run both the TCDD-
only and TCDF confirmation analyses on the
Rtx®-Dioxin2 column, they were able to use
the same instrument for both analyses, allow-
ing more full-list dioxin and PCB samples to
be analyzed on the other instrument. Learn
more about Rtx®-Dioxin2 columns at
Do you have a Restek success
story to share?
E-mail
or call your Restek representative!