General description of equipment

The various parts of the chromatograph shown in figure 3 are found in all GC instruments. Their size and construction may vary, depending on the manufacturer, or the fact that the instrument is miniaturized. This chapter presents :

• the column, which contains the stationary phase and is responsible for the differential migration of the constituents of the mixture to be analyzed under the effect of an inert gas, called carrier gas. This is the heart of the chromatograph, since it is here that the desired separations are made, or not made;

• injectors, which introduce the mixture to be analyzed into the gas circuit without breaking it;

• the main detectors for identifying separated...