Fully Automated Curie-Point Pyrolysis Gas-Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

A fully automated Curie-point pyrolysis system, capable of continuous, unattended analysis of up to 24 samples is described. Samples are coated on ferromagnetic wires which fit into low-dead volume glass reaction tubes. These tubes are splitlessly coupled to a support coated open tubular (SCOT) column and are exchanged after each analysis by a pneumatic device. Serial pyrograms of a bacterial sample demonstrate that peak height variations are generally less than ±5%. The system has potentially wide applications in pyrolysis gas chromatography of organic solids.