8. Glossary

Adsorption/desorption; adsorption/desorption

Adsorption is the energetic binding of a gas, liquid or solid to a solid surface. It must be reversible to allow product recovery. The forces responsible for the phenomenon are not specific.

Desorption is the opposite phenomenon, and corresponds to the breaking of the previous bonds. It allows recovery of the product in liquid or gaseous phase.

Dynamic headspace; purge and trap

Extraction method involving the bubbling of an inert gas into a liquid matrix to entrain volatile compounds. These compounds are then trapped on an adsorbent phase, which is heated to high temperature at the inlet to a gas chromatograph, enabling analysis of the extracted products.

Espace de tête; headspace

The headspace...