• 3 •
byChristopher English, Environmental InnovationsChemist, &BradRightnour, Instrument InnovationsManager
EZ No-Vent
™
GC Column-
Mass Spectrometer Connector
ChangeColumns inMinutes,Without Venting
✔
Easy to install andmaintain—no special tools or extra plumbing required.
✔
Gold plated for inertness.
✔
100µm ID transfer line keeps analytes focused.
✔
Lower cost than other “no-vent” fittings.
We designed our new EZ No-Vent
™
GC column-mass
spectrometer connector to be simple and easy to
use. After studying user feedback concerning our
EZ-Vent
™
2000 connector, we re-engineered the
connector fitting for even better performance.
A critical orifice in the EZ No-Vent
™
connectormin-
imizes the amount of oxygen allowed into theMS
source, eliminating the need for purge gas and
enabling you to skip the lengthy vent and pump-
down cycle otherwise requiredwhen youmake a
column change. This can save nearly a day of
downtime with each column change. The EZ No-
Vent
™
connector easily attaches to theMS source
without special tools or extra plumbing. Figure 1
shows the fitting installed and ready for use.
We tested the EZ No-Vent
™
connector, using highly
volatile gaseous sample components that are very
susceptible to tailing in the presence of dead vol-
ume. We operated the system as a purge-and-trap
GC/MS system, initially with a split at the injection
port and the column inserted directly into theMS
interface. Next, we included the EZ No-Vent
™
con-
nector at theMS interface. We anticipated that any
dead volume in this fitting would produce signifi-
cant tailing and broader peaks, relative to the direct
connection. Peak shape was excellent using the new
fitting.
Similarly, we used an application-specific test to
evaluate the ability of theMS to stabilize after we
changed columns without venting. Againwe used a
purge-and-trap system, halogenated volatiles as the
sample, and an Rtx
®
-624 column to separate the
analytes. We acquired Figure 2a at 08:12 AM, then
changed the column. We acquired Figure 2b 76
minutes later, at 09:28 AM. Note the excellent peak
shapes and responses. In the interval between the
two analyses we verifiedMSD tuning, and the sys-
tem passed bromofluorobenzene (BFB) criteria.
Subsequent detailed investigations have established
that the EZ No-Vent
™
connector will allow several
column changes in a single day, with no harm to
theMS or loss of data quality.
If you’re tired of waiting for yourMS to stabilize, we
highly recommend you use an EZ No-Vent
™
connec-
tor. It will reduce yourMS downtime, saving you
money, and increase your sample throughput—
making youmoney.
Figure 1
MS transfer line installed in an EZNo-Vent
™
connector. Connection can bemade quickly,
without special tools.
Figure 2
Acquire a samplewithin two hours of changing columns, using an EZNo-Vent
™
connector.
expanded view
Description
qty.
cat.#
price
EZNo-Vent
™
Connector Kit for Agilent 5971/5972 and 5973GC/MS
(Kit includes: EZNo-Vent
™
Connector, 0.4mm ID ferrules for connecting capillary
column, 0.4mm ID ferrules for connecting transfer line, 100µm deactivated transfer
line (3 ft.), and EZNo-Vent
™
column plug and nut.)
kit
21323
Replacement ferrules for connecting capillary column to EZNo-Vent
™
:
0.4mm ID
2-pk.
21015
0.5mm ID
2-pk.
21016
Replacement ferrules for connecting transfer line to
EZ-No Vent
™
: 0.4mm ID
2-pk.
21043
Replacement deactivated transfer line: 100µm ID
3 ft.
21018
Replacement EZNo-Vent
™
ColumnNut
5-pk.
21900
Replacement EZNo-Vent
™
Plug
2-pk.
21915
Open-endWrenches (
1
/
4
" x
5
/
16
")
2-pk.
20110
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
20 min.
13 14 15
19 18 17 16
5 6
4 3
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
min.
20
GC_EV00659c
GC_EV00659d
Restek
Innovation!
Rtx
®
-624 60m, 0.25mm ID, 1.4µm (cat# 10969)
Halogenated Volatiles@ 200 ppb in 5mL/ROwater.
502.2 CalibrationMix#1 (gases)
cat# 30042
502.2 CalibrationMix#2
cat# 30043
BTEX standard
cat# 30213
2b—acquired at 9:28am
Ez-No Vent
™
, acquired 76min. after installing new column
Inj.:
purge& trap
GC:
Agilent 6890
Inj. temp.:
300°C
Carrier gas:
helium, constant flow
Flow rate:
1.0mL/min.
Oven temp.:
60°C (hold 15min.) to
220°C@ 30°C/min.
(hold 1min.)
Det:
Agilent 5973GC/MS
Transfer line temp.:
280°C
Scan range:
35-550 amu
Tune:
BFB
Ionization:
EI
for
more
info
request lit. cat.# 59498.
2a—acquired at 8:12am
Did you know?
Restek offers supplies and inno-
vative tools for yourMS. Refer to
the Instrument Supplies section
of the annual
Chromatography
Products Guide
(lit. cat.# 59473).
