Evaluation of capillary gas chromatography for the measurement of hydrocarbons by participating in an intercomparison experiment

By participating in an International Hydrocarbons Intercomparison Experiment, a method for the determination of nonmethane hydrocarbons was evaluated. The method involves Tenax-TA sampling, thermal desorption and preconcentration combined with capillary gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. Sixty target compounds from C2 to C11 were separated by using a megabore capillary column with a thick film of bonded nonpolar siloxane stationary phase (5 μm, Rtx-1). The unusually thick film in the column was an advantage for resolving light hydrocarbons (C2−C3) at room temperature. The percent difference between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and our laboratory in the intercomparison experiment is in the range of 0.99%–19.70%.