Affordable, safe, effective: Implementing hydrogen carrier gas for routine TD–GC–MS

As the price of helium continues to rise, many analysts are considering changing the GC carrier gas they use to much cheaper hydrogen. But how practical and safe is it to use hydrogen, and should you be considering cylinders or generators?

We talk to Dr Andreas Kapaklis and Anika Maier at TESTEX, Zurich, Switzerland, to hear their experience of using hydrogen carrier gas on a Markes Multi-Gas TD system for the routine GC–MS analysis of textile samples.

• Customer: TESTEX
• Application: High-throughput compliance testing of textiles using direct desorption TD–GC–MS
• Challenge: Eliminate reliance on expensive helium carrier gas by switching to hydrogen
• Solution: Fully automated TD100-xr™ with Multi-Gas capability
• Results: 4,800 injections completed in 6 months, and a second system on its way