The Evolution of
Gas Chromatographic
Instrumentation
at PerkinElmer

Published on the occasion of the
50-year anniversary of
PerkinElmer’s first gas chromatograph,introduced in 1955.

achievements ingas chromatography

In 2005, PerkinElmer celebrates the 50th anniversaryof the Model 154 Vapor Fractometer, the first gas
chromatograph (GC) developed by The Perkin-Elmer
Corporation. This instrument heralded the era of thisversatile technique, which changed the way chemical
analysis is carried out. It also represented the first truly
automated, complex analytical instrument that did notneed specially skilled scientists for its operation andcould be used by practically every laboratory.
The Model 154 represented the first in a series of gas
chromatographs, descendants of which are still manufactured by the Life & Analytical Sciences division of
PerkinElmer. On the occasion of this anniversary, we
would like to review the evolution of gas chromatographic instrumentation at PerkinElmer.

laboratories helped in learning the principles of the
new technique. Based on this information, an extensive
development program was initiated in the company’s
headquarters, in Norwalk, Connecticut. The conclusionof this development work was the Model 154 Vapor
Fractometer, introduced in May 1955. Its basic features,
unique at that time, were: the use of an air thermostat(the “oven”), permitting to keep the temperature of theseparation column adjustable between room temperature and 150 ˚C; a flash vaporizer, allowing syringe
injection of liquid and gas samples through a rubber
septum into the carrier gas stream; and a thermistortype thermal-conductivity detector. Also, the company
provided a number of standardized columns with awide range of separation characteristics, permitting theuse of the instrument for the successful analysis ofdiverse samples.

The saga of the Model 154
In 1953-54, Perkin-Elmer’s representatives heard for the
first time about the pioneering GC work done in England,
by A.T. James and A.J.P. Martin, in the laboratories of
the British Medical Council, London, and by C.S.G.
Phillips at the University of Oxford. Visits to their

The instrument was an instant success. An editorial
in Analytical Chemistry characterized it as “a splendid
example of automatic analysis” and the chromatograms
obtained “a delight to behold.” Soon after the introduction of the instrument, Perkin-Elmer also published asimple 31-page booklet, explaining the principles ofgas chromatography and how to select the operationalparameters. Analytical Chemistry praised this text in a
new editorial, calling it “a compact and very informative summary,” helping “in disseminating scientificand technical information.”
Naturally, development work did not stop with the introduction of the Model 154. By the beginning of 1956, animproved version was introduced; this was the Model
154-B. In this new version, the temperature range was
extended to 225 ˚C, and an optional rotary-type valve,with variable sample loops, was added for the introduction of gas samples. It is noteworthy that all the rotarytype, multiport-sampling and switching valves inexistence today, supplied by a large number of companies, can be traced back to the design of this valve.

2

The Model 154-B Gas Chromatograph. The column oven is behind the door on theleft-hand side of the unit. On the right-hand side, heating controls are on the top
panel; pneumatic controls, as well as controls of the thermal-conductivity detector,
are on the lower-right panel, while a flow meter is installed in the middle. The heatedinjection port for syringe injection is at the lower left. The potentiometric recorder
was usually housed in a separate, equal-size cabinet. The Model 154-A had the same
look as this instrument.

The year 1958 saw the invention of open-tubular (capillary) columns by Perkin-Elmer’s Dr. M.J.E. Golay, oneof the most respected scientists in the field of scientificinstrumentation and, especially, gas chromatography.
The next version of the instrument, the Model 154-C,
introduced at the 1959 Pittsburgh Conference, provided
the capability of using capillary columns and the newly
developed flame-ionization detector.

The simplicity and ease of operation of the Model 154
series was a significant factor in the exponential growthof gas chromatography. Soon, every large analyticallaboratory included GC among the techniques employed,
and laboratories having a number of these instruments
were not uncommon.

In the Model 154-C, the flame-ionization detector
amplifier was in a separate box. This was then consolidated into the Model 154-D, first shown at the1960 Pittsburgh Conference. This instrument also
provided a more sophisticated inlet system for capillary columns. Finally, in 1961, a simplified versionof the original design, the Model 154-L, was introduced, specially developed for light gas analysis.
The Model 154 also served as the basis of othersuccessful instruments at Perkin-Elmer’s European
subsidiaries in Germany (Models 116 and 116E) andEngland (Models 451 and 452).

The first advertisement of the Model 154-C Gas Chromatographshows the instrument with the oven door open. The capillarycolumn and the flame ionization detector are mounted in theoven. The amplifier of the FID is in a separate box. The chromatoogram illustrates the full separation of ethylbenzene and thethree xylene isomers.

Over five years after its introduction, the Model 154 andits improved versions were the most widely used gas
chromatographs. From 1962 on, new and more sophisticated instruments were introduced, yet the Model 154
series and its European counterparts continued to be
produced until the late 1960s. Many laboratories kept
their old instruments in use for decades. The unparalleled history of this instrument is the best testimonyof the foresight of its developers.

Dr. M.J.E. Golay (1902-1989), pioneering scientist in scientificinstrumentation and the inventor of open-tubular (capillary) columns.

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3The Model 188
Very soon after the introduction of gas chromatography,
chemists (mainly in the petroleum industry) wanted toanalyze wide boiling-range samples. For this type ofanalysis, the operating range of a single, isothermal instrument was not enough. At that time, temperature programming of the column was not yet developed andtherefore, another approach was suggested: to havemultiple columns in series, each at a different temperature, with separate flow-through (thermal-conductivity)
detectors at the end of each column. Such an instrument was Perkin-Elmer’s Model 188, introduced in 1957,
which, in essence, was three Model 154 oven-anddetector systems, combined in series. However, this
instrument was short-lived. Within a few years, temperature programming of a single column proved to
be a much simpler solution for such applications.
New instruments in the early 1960s
In 1959-61, various new innovations extended the rangeof gas chromatography. Perkin-Elmer pioneered thedevelopment of a number of new instruments, drivinga higher level of results.

We have already mentioned that temperature programming started to be popular in this period. To adapt theModel 154 GCs (which only permitted isothermal
analysis) for this need, a separate unit, the Model 222,
was developed and introduced at the 1961 Pittsburgh
Conference. This instrument, which housed theseparation column and was connected to the Model
154 utilizing its detector, had two unique features:
The first was that the (packed) column was resistanceheated, permitting 39 program rates from 0.5 to
52 °C/min. Recently, resistance heating was reintroduced
and claimed as a new development. This is, however,not true – the technique was pioneered 43 years ago
by Perkin-Elmer. One of the reasons why resistanceheating was utilized in the Model 222, was a resultof the poor design of early temperature-programmed
ovens, where significant thermal lag was reported
between set and actual column temperatures. This
problem was eliminated by resistance heating. The
column follows instantaneously with the set program.
The combination of the 222/154 system had a second
feature which was important in those early stages oftemperature programming, since relatively low-boiling

1955

1957

Routine gas chromatography laboratory at Esso R&D Co., in early
1958. This room contained at that time eight Model 154 Gas Chromatographs. Except for the unit attended by the operator, the potentiometric recorders were placed directly under each chromatograph.
(From W.A. Dietz, Instrument News, Spring 1958 edition.)

The Model 188 Triplestage Gas Chromatograph. The sample wasintroduced through the injection port of the leftmost unit and wasthen conducted by the carrier gas through three columns in series,
each in a separate oven at different temperatures. Each had a thermal
conductivity detector at the column outlet, making separate recordsof the particular fraction analyzed in that column.

4substances (truly “liquid” phases) were used as thestationary phase. With such columns, an excessive
baseline drift was observed during programming, due
to the exponential increase of vapor pressure withtemperature, causing a similar “bleeding” from thecolumn into the detector. In the 222/154 system, ashort column coated with the same phase as the separation column was installed in the Model 154’s oven,in series with the temperature-programmed separation
column. The temperature of this scrubber column
was kept isothermally, at the maximum of the program. This way, the stationary phase concentration in
the carrier gas, due to the bleeding, equilibrated andbecame constant toward the detector – thus, the baseline drift was eliminated.
The Model 222 was short lived for two reasons. The
dual-column, baseline-compensation method, describedin 1961 by E.M. Emery and W.E. Koerner of MonsantoChemical Co. for the elimination of baseline drift during
programming, proved to be simpler than the systemused in the 222/154 combination. Perkin-Elmer immediately realized the importance of this technique anddeveloped an instrument for its utilization. However,the company went one step further. While Emery and
Koerner utilized a thermal-conductivity detector, with
its standard two channels, Perkin-Elmer developed adifferential flame-ionization detector for this use. The
Model 800, introduced at the 1962 Pittsburgh Conference,
was the first instrument permitting baseline compensation with an FID, also including capillary columns. This
instrument also had a significantly improved oven
design, assuring constant temperature along the column
and a minimal thermal lag during programming.
The Model 800 could be used with both packed andcapillary columns. A few months after its introduction,a modified version, the Model 801 became available.
This instrument was specially designed for the growing
biochemical-clinical market, providing all-glass systems including glass on-column injectors and glass
packed columns.
In the next few years, further versions of the Model
800 were available, with both the differential FID(the Models 810 and 880) and thermal-conductivity
detectors (the Model 820). These instruments also had
all-glass versions: the Models 811 and 881.

1959

1960

The Model 213 Hydrocarbon Analyzer. It was a portable unit, permitting the analysis of atmospheric samples for the total organics content,with help of a flame-ionization detector.

The Model 154-D. In this unit, the amplifier of the flame-ionization
detector was incorporated in the upper part of the recorder cabinet(right). The rotary-type gas sampling valve, originally introduced with
the Model 154-B, is mounted on the left side of the instrument cabinet.

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5Parallel to the Model 800, Perkin-Elmer’s German
affiliate introduced the Model F-6 gas chromatograph.
This was the first truly modular GC based on a building-block system, with multi-detector possibilities,
permitting both isothermal and programmed-temperature operation. Two years later, in 1964, a dual-column
version, the Model F-7, also became available.
Both the Models 800 and F-6/7 series were generalpurpose instruments, although they permitted the useof both packed and capillary columns. The applicationof capillary columns, however, expanded in a numberof fields; an instrument specially designed for capillarycolumn work became necessary. This instrument, theModel 226, was also introduced at the 1962 Pittsburgh
Conference. It had a unique design, eliminating the needfor a column oven: the thin-walled capillary columns
were embedded in a flat metal disk and heated by directcontact with a similarly shaped flat heater. This systemprovided extremely accurate temperature control and analmost zero lag between set and actual temperatures inboth isothermal and programmed-temperature operations.

1960

In 1964, another highly successful gas chromatograph
was introduced by Perkin-Elmer, the Model F-11, designed by the company’s British affiliate. This compact,
low-cost, modular instrument could be expanded froma simple single-column, single-detector, isothermal instrument to a temperature-programmed, multi-detector
version. This instrument and its later version, theModel F-33, were sold worldwide for over a decade.
Another low-cost GC, the Model F-20, was introduced
in 1965 for the German market. This instrument and its
improved version, the Model F-22, were also producedfor over a decade.
Instruments of the second decade
In the first decade of commercial gas chromatography,
almost every year saw the introduction of a new, improved model of the popular series of instruments.
However, by the mid-1960s, the field started to settle
down. The instrument-design principles were consolidated. Improvements then occurred in the areas ofelectronics and engineering components, such aspressure controls and flow regulators. These advances
also permitted optimization of instrument design for

1961

The Model 222 Temperature Programming Accessory for the Model 154 Gas
Chromatographs. The resistance-heatedcolumn is behind the vertical “chimney.” The injection port (for syringe
injection) is just below the chimney.

The Perkin-Elmer-Shell Model 212 Sorptometer was developed for thedetermination of the surface area of solids according to the BET method,using a GC-type measurement. The sample holder was placed in the
Dewar flask on the right where adsorption took place at liquid-nitrogentemperature.

6

both packed and capillary columns. A certain design
could last for a number of years with only minor
enhancements that did not change the overall featuresof the instrument. The Models F-11 and F-20 alreadyrepresented such long-lasting designs, successfully
marketed for over a decade. However, both were, bydefinition, relatively simple, low-cost instruments,
aiming for the routine analysis market.
By the mid-1960s, it was clear that a new major, top-ofthe-line gas chromatograph was needed, which would
provide high sophistication and flexibility and could
be used in both research and routine analysis. A special
requirement, raised at that time by users, was thepossibility of using two columns and multiple detectors. The Model 900, introduced at the 1967 Pittsburgh
Conference, fulfilled this need. This instrument, which
we consider one of the finest GCs ever built, set thestandard for high-performance gas chromatography.
With the enhanced Model 990 introduced three years
later, the 900 series was one of the dominating gas
chromatographs of the decade. Even 38 years after its
introduction, many can still be found operational inlaboratories around the world.

1962

Configuration of the capillary column and heater of the Model 226
Gas Chromatograph. The heater is the disk at the bottom, while thecapillary column is embedded in the disk above it.

The 900/990 series was phased out in 1974 by the
Model 3920, one of the most successful instrumentsin the medium-price range. In addition to updated
electronics, a new feature was the N/P detector,
selective to nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing
organic compounds. This detector became very important in drug screening, particularly at the Olympic Games.
The debut of its application was at the 1976 WinterGames in Innsbruck, Austria, where Perkin-Elmerprovided the instrumentation needed for routine
testing of the athletes.
Meanwhile, Perkin-Elmer Ltd., the company’s British
affiliate, was also engaged in GC development, with theaim of replacing the Model F-11 with a more up-to-date
design and, at the same time, designing a top-of-theline instrument. The Model F-11 was eventually replacedin 1974 by the Model F-33, while in 1971 the Model
F-30, a superb, high-performance gas chromatograph
was introduced. This instrument was the basis of thedevelopment of the Model F-17, a highly versatile,
medium-priced GC, introduced in 1973, that enjoyedconsiderable success in Europe.

1963

The Model 810/820 Gas Chromatographs. These represented advanced
versions of the Model 800 Gas Chromatograph, originally introduced
in 1962, offering, for the first time, dual-column baseline compensationin programmed-temperature operation, with differential flame-ionization
detectors or with a dual thermal-conductivity detector. The Model 810 (onthe left) is the FID and the Model 820 (on the right) is the TCD version.

w w w. p e r k i n e l m e r. c o m

7In the last 30 years, PerkinElmer has developed four
distinct GC instrument lines, always corresponding
to the newest advances.

Four versions were offered with interchangeable
components and accessories, from a simple, isothermal
GC, the Sigma 4, to the very sophisticated, complex,
automated instrument, the Sigma 1. Further improvements in 1980 led to the Sigma B series. The Sigma 1B
was also enlarged to include full data-handling capabilities; the result was the Sigma 115, introduced in
1981. Based on the Sigma 2B, the Sigma 2000, an advanced, flexible, high-performance instrument ofmodular design, was developed. Introduced in 1982,
this instrument remained highly popular for almost a
decade. The moderate-cost Sigma 3B was also further
improved in 1983, resulting in the Sigma 300.

The Sigma series

The 8000 series

The first new line of gas chromatographs was represented
by the highly successful Sigma series of instruments,
developed in 1975-77. During development, some of the
new features had already been incorporated into theModel 910, an upgraded version of the Model 3920,
introduced in 1976. The whole line of new instruments
was introduced at the 1977 Pittsburgh Conference.

The next phase of GC innovation was the 8000 series,
incorporating real-time screen display of the chromatogram with built-in method development and datahandling capability. The instruments were developed
at Perkin-Elmer’s British affiliate. The first of this series
was the Model 8300, a simple, single-channel gas

1967

1974

The Model 900 Gas Chromatograph. The column oven opens on the
top left, with two FIDs in the wire cage to its right. Behind this are thecontrols for three gases, the carrier gas (helium), as well as hydrogenand air for the FIDs. The dual injection port is left of the name plate.
The various knobs represent temperature controls and controls for thedetector electronics.

The Model 3920 Gas Chromatograph. Its design represented anadvanced version of the system originally incorporated in the
Model 900.

Instruments of the electronic age
By the mid-1970s, electronic technology had advanced to such an extent that it permitted the development of an entirely new line of microprocessorcontrolled instruments, replacing all existing GCs. This
rapid advance has continued ever since. As a result,
instrument lines were replaced periodically by newer
designs, incorporating the latest achievements in computer technology.

8chromatograph, introduced in 1983. This was thenfollowed by three models with increasing capabilities:
the Models 8400 and 8500 (1986) and the Model 8700
(1987). Unique features of these instruments were
the sliding oven door, optional installation of additional injectors and detectors, and automated bleed
compensation.
The AutoSystem instruments
In 1990, Perkin-Elmer introduced the AutoSystem™ GC,
a high-performance instrument, incorporating thenewest advances in chromatography and electronic
control, with a fully integrated autosampler, capableof handling up to 83 samples and injections of different
volumes. In October 1995, an advanced model, the
AutoSystem XL™ GC, was introduced with an automated programmable pneumatic control for temperature-programmable split/splitless or on-column sample
introduction, as well as large-volume injection and anumber of universal and selective detectors. This instrument provided the highest-quality gas chromatographic instrumentation available at that time.
The Clarus 500 GC
Following a change in ownership, the company –renamed PerkinElmer, Inc. – introduced a new GC
platform in the form of the Clarus® 500 GC and Clarus
500 GC/MS in July 2002. Both feature a revolutionary
platform design, incorporating the easy-to-learn, touchscreen user interface. The Clarus 500 GC offers a whole
new approach to the way users interact with the instrument – the intuitive graphical user interface features
real-time signal display and eight-language support.
The Clarus 500 GC retains the analytical performanceof the AutoSystem GC, and the Clarus 500 MS incorporates all the high-performance technology of theTurboMass™ Gold mass spectrometer.

1977

1982

The microprocessor-controlled Sigma 1 Gas Chromatograph is shownwith its data system on the right.

The Sigma 2000 was an electronically controlled gas chromatographwith a built-in display of the method and the actual conditions.
Shown in the middle are the four injection ports that permitted theinstallation of four columns simultaneously.

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9successes in

GC mass spectrometry

Mass spectrometry (MS) had always been considered
the ultimate identification technique for organic
compounds. However, early mass spectrometers werelarge, complex and expensive. Also, for some time,
direct coupling of a GC with an MS was practically
impossible, due to the large carrier gas flow and thesmall concentrations of the sample components to
be investigated.
In 1963, Perkin-Elmer started to be involved in GC/MS,
first by taking over the marketing of the mass spectrometers produced by Hitachi, Japan. These were standalone instruments that could be successfully coupledwith Perkin-Elmer gas chromatographs, using the
Watson-Biemann type separator, consisting of a porous
quartz tube through which helium molecules diffused.
The heavier organic molecules remained in the gas
stream in the tube and were conducted into the MS.
Then, in 1967, Perkin-Elmer introduced the Model 270,
a double-focusing, magnetic-sector mass spectrometer
developed at Perkin-Elmer, which was directly combined with a gas chromatograph. This instrument was
discontinued in the first part of the 1970s.

The next major involvement of Perkin-Elmer in mass
spectrometry was the introduction of the Ion Trap
Detector™ in 1986. This was a benchtop unit, directlyinterfaced to the 8000 series gas chromatographs via an
open split interface, permitting the identification of thesample components eluting from a capillary column.
This was then replaced in 1990 by the Q-Mass 910™
Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer, another benchtop unit
which was interfaced with the AutoSystem GC.
In the 1990s, Perkin-Elmer started the development ofa mass spectrometric detector that could serve as anintegral part of the gas chromatography system. The
new instrument, the TurboMass Mass Spectrometer,
was introduced in the fall of 1997 and could be directly
coupled to the AutoSystem XL GC.
As a further improvement in mass spectrometricdetection, PerkinElmer introduced the TurboMass Gold™
Mass Spectrometer in March 2001. By combining thetechnology with the Clarus 500 GC to form the Clarus
500 GC/MS, it represents the highest performance
available today.

1983

1990

The 8000 series instruments permitted realtime screen graphics,
data handling and method development through the control of asingle keyboard.

The Q-Mass 910 Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer coupled with the
AutoSystem GC. The Q-Mass 910 offered the fastest pumpdown in
the industry, providing the analytical laboratory high uptime andefficiency of operation.

10

accomplishments in

GC sample handling

PerkinElmer is a pioneer in the development of
two major sample handling systems, permitting
headspace analysis and the use of automatic thermal desorption sampling.
Headspace analysis
The analysis of volatile components present in an
essentially non-volatile matrix is fairly difficult. Sucha sample cannot be directly introduced into a gas
chromatograph and, therefore, sample pretreatment(e.g., extraction) is necessary. This problem can beovercome by the direct sampling of the gas phase inequilibrium with the sample (static headspace). The
technique of headspace-gas chromatography (HS-GC)
was originally invented by Professor G. Machata of the
University of Vienna in Austria. The proper instrumentation for the practical realization of the technique wasdeveloped by Perkin-Elmer’s German affiliate, using aunique pressure-balanced, time-based sampling of theheadspace of the thermostatted sample vials. The first
instrument, the Model F-40 was introduced in the fallof 1967; it was then followed by the Model F-42 in 1975
and the Model F-45 in 1978. The individual units mainly
differed in the upper temperature of the thermostat
which, in the Model F-45, was extended to 150 °C.

These and the successive instruments were capableof handling a large number of samples and of carryingout the sampling and analysis according to a preprogrammed schedule.
The previous three models were complete instruments,
including not only the sample thermostat and the sampling unit, but also the gas chromatograph. The Model
F-20 and F-22 GCs were used for this purpose. Afterthe introduction of the Sigma series of gas chromatographs, the design concept was changed by having theheadspace sampler as an attachment to the prevailing
gas chromatographs. The first such unit was a small,manually operated system, the Model HS-6 introduced
in 1978, capable of handling six samples. Subsequently,
a series of fully automated HS systems have been developed, capable of handling a large number of samples
and combined with the PerkinElmer® gas chromatographs. These were the Model HS-100 (1983) to the
Sigma Series, the HS-101 (1986) to the 8000 series, theHS 40 (1991) to the AutoSystem and the HS 40XL (1996)
to the AutoSystem XL gas chromatographs. In addition
to the gas chromatograph for which they were optimized,
these headspace samplers differed from each other by theincreasing degree of sophistication of the programmer

1996

1997

The HS 40XL Automatic Headspace Sampler was the seventh generation of headspace samplers. On the left is the carousel where thesamples are placed. The tower on the right side is where the vials
are heated and the volatiles transferred to the gas chromatograph.

The TurboMass Mass Spectrometer is a quadrupole benchtop mass
spectrometer with a standard mass range of 2-1200 daltons. It interfaces
through the left side of the AutoSystem XL Gas Chromatograph, asshown in this photo.

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11controlling the automatic analytical sequence and theavailability of additional techniques to further extend therange of HS-GC.

allowing up to 100 times lower detection limits thanstandard headspace samplers.

In March 2000, PerkinElmer introduced the TurboMatrix™
series, a new generation of headspace samplers. The
intuitive touch-screen graphical user interface provides
easy control of the sampler in eight languages. Building
on more than 40 years of experience in GC sample handling and introduction, TurboMatrix Headspace Samplers
incorporate proven pressure-balanced sampling for
better performance. The TurboMatrix series includes
three models:Automated thermal desorption sampling• TurboMatrix HS 16, providing 16 positions• TurboMatrix HS 40, providing 40 positions• TurboMatrix HS 110, providing 110 positions
These instruments provide integrated, programmablepneumatics control, platform technology and fully automated operation. The three models have complete upgradeability, expanding with the user’s needs.

The aim of the Automated Thermal Desorber (ATD) isto permit the automatic handling of sorbent-filled airsampling tubes for the determination of the adsorbed
volatile compounds (e.g., VOCs in air) in concentrations from ppt to percent values. However, it can also
be used for the determination of volatiles present ina solid sample, which can be vaporized upon heating.
These instruments were developed by the company’s
British affiliate. The first unit, the Model ATD-50, wasintroduced in 1981. It was followed in 1990 by the
Model ATD-400. Each can automatically handle 50
sampling tubes. The difference is in the upper desorption
temperature, which was 250 °C in the Model ATD-50
and 400 °C in the Model ATD-400.

In 2003, PerkinElmer further improved the TurboMatrix
HS 40 and HS 110 headspace samplers with patented
built-in-trap technology, a key differentiator in headspace
sampling. This system provides the ability for complete
headspace extraction with built-in preconcentration,

In 2000, PerkinElmer introduced a new generation of
instruments, the TurboMatrix TD thermal desorbers.
These allow the choice of single-shot analysis of one
sampling tube, or the use of an autosampler capable ofhandling 50 tubes and, similarly to the TurboMatrix
headspace samplers, provide complete upgradeability
to grow with user requirements.

2000

2002

The TurboMatrix HS 110 (left) and TurboMatrix Automated Thermal
Desorber (right). An intuitive, color touch-screen user interface provides
instant access to system functionality. They can be interfaced to almost
any GC system, giving access to PerkinElmer’s proven technology,
regardless of the GC brand or model.

The Clarus 500 GC/MS system includes a quadrupole MS with themass range of 1-1200 daltons, providing very fast scan speed, up to
60 scans/second, and permits Selected Ion Full Ion (SIFI™) monitoringin the same run, simultaneously acquiring data in full scan together
with Selected Ion Monitoring (SIM).

12

contributions to

special applications

The principles of gas chromatography have also
been applied to instruments aiming at some special
applications. GC has also been combined either withspecial sampling techniques or with other major instrumental analytical techniques used for the identification of sample components separated in the gas
chromatograph. PerkinElmer has been active in thedevelopment and marketing of a number of suchdedicated systems. Below is a brief summary of themost important units.

Perkin-Elmer had already provided an accessory in1956 to the Model 154-B Gas Chromatograph to collecteluted, pure sample components as they emerge fromthe instrument’s outlet, and heated collection systems
were also available for successive gas chromatographs.

The potential of using gas chromatography to obtainsample components in pure form had been realizedpractically since the beginnings of GC. The primary
aim was to have pure fractions available for identification, using ancillary analytical techniques such as
infrared, ultraviolet, mass spectroscopy or chemical
reactions and not to “produce” substances in pureform. Thus, when speaking about “preparative” GC,
we essentially consider analytical gas chromatographs
or instruments with somewhat increased throughput
and fraction-collection capability.

In the 1960s, Perkin-Elmer also introduced two instruments specially developed for preparative GC. The firstwas the Model 222P, a scaled-up version of the Model
222, utilizing resistance heating of the column. The instrument, introduced at the 1963 Pittsburgh Conference,
also included a thermal-conductivity detector and asample-collection system with two heated exit ports towhich metal or glass collection traps could be attached.
Columns of 1-inch OD, up to 10 feet long, could be usedin the system, even with temperature programming.
The reason for selecting resistance heating, was that the
rapid heat-up, or particularly, temperature programmingof such a big mass represented by these columns in an
air thermostat, would have been almost impossible.
However, this instrument was not popular – it represented an about 16-fold scale-up of sample sizes
which, as already mentioned, was more than mostlaboratories required.

2003

2005

The TurboMatrix HS 110 Trap provides built-in analyte-trapping
capabilities that maximize the extraction and transfer of headspace
vapor into the GC column, thereby lowering the detection limits by
up to 100 times.

The PerkinElmer-Arnel Model 4088 Beer Analyzer. This system
includes a PerkinElmer-Arnel Clarus GC with FID detector, coupledwith a TurboMatrix HS Trap for off-flavor testing.

Preparative GCw w w. p e r k i n e l m e r. c o m

13The second preparative gas chromatograph was developed by Perkin-Elmer’s German affiliate. This was the
Model 21 introduced in 1966. This instrument had
an advanced design, where higher throughput wasachieved by automatic, repetitive sample introduction
and fraction collection into a standard or somewhat
larger (e.g., about 1/3 inch instead of 1/4 inch) analyticalcolumn, rather than by injecting a single, large sample
volume into a significantly scaled-up column. A few
years after the introduction of the Model 900, a special
accessory permitting the same technique (automatic
repetitive sample introduction and fraction collection)
also became available for this instrument.
By the beginning of the 1970s, interest in “preparative”
gas chromatography (i.e., fraction collection for subsequent analysis) diminished. It was slowly replaced by
the direct connection of a gas chromatograph (the GC
column) to another instrumental analytical technique(mainly mass spectrometry) for component identification.
Sorptometer
The Sorptometer was a special instrument, permitting
the determination of the specific surface area of powdered or granulated solids according to the BET theory,
utilizing a GC-like technique instead of a vacuum system
for adsorption-desorption measurements. It was originallydeveloped at Shell Development Co., in Emeryville,
California, and Perkin-Elmer was licensed to design an
instrument and further develop the technique. The
original instrument, the Model 212, was introduced at
the 1960 Pittsburgh Conference. In subsequent years,
improved models such as the Models 212-B, 212-C
and 212-D were introduced. The Sorptometer enjoyedconsiderable success as the only instrument of its
kind. However, its field of application was very
limited. Toward the end of the decade, its marketing was discontinued.
FID for total organics analysis
The introduction of the flame-ionization detector (FID)
in gas chromatography – 40 years ago – coincided with14

the start of air-pollution research. At that time, theimportance of determining the total organic content
of the atmosphere or other gases (e.g., automobile exhaust) was identified by a few far-seeing researchers.
It was also evident that the FID, which senses allorganic compounds (and the response of which isessentially proportional to the total concentration of
the organics present in the sample gas), could be used
for this purpose.
To facilitate such investigations, Perkin-Elmer developed a portable instrument, the Model 213 Hydrocarbon Analyzer, which was introduced in late 1959.
In 1961, a benchtop version, the Model 223, also became available. Both instruments were based on the
FID design of the Model 154-C, but no column wasused and the sample gas (e.g., atmospheric air) was
pumped through the detector at a constant flow rate
in lieu of the carrier gas. The detector response, ascompared to having a pure inert gas (nitrogen or helium)
flow, was proportional to the total concentration of theorganic compounds present in the sample gas.
Specialized gas chromatographs
In some cases, a general-purpose instrument is
so extensively used for one special application,that it justifies customizing it. PerkinElmer has along-standing relationship with Arnel™, a market
leader in customized chromatography solutions, toprovide, install and support proven dedicated systems for a wide range of the applications and standard methods, including light-gas analysis throughtransformer-oil gas analysis, simulated distillationand detailed hydrocarbon analyses. PerkinElmer also
provides customized solutions to industries downstream from petrochemical processes, for example,
lubricants, polymers, fine chemicals and beverages.
One of the most recent additions to the PerkinElmerArnel customized GC offering is the Model 4088 Beer
Analyzer (introduced in 2005), specialized for offflavor testing.

Auto
SystemAuto
System XL

Clarus500

Clarus500 MS

TurboMatrix
HS Trapw w w. p e r k i n e l m e r. c o m

15PerkinElmer, Inc.

The future

About the author

Evolution of scientific instruments never stops. Advances in gas chromatography, in the field of electronics, computer and microprocessor technology,
as well as in production techniques, provide boththe possibility and the need for continuous improvements in design and performance.

Dr. Leslie S. Ettre,a graduate of theTechnical University ofBudapest, Hungary, hasbeen active in the fieldof gas chromatography
for almost 50 years, inboth research and instrument development.
His main field had beenin the theory and practice of open-tubular(capillary) columns.
Dr. Ettre had been associated with The Perkin-Elmer
Corporation for over 40 years, retiring at the end of
1990, as a senior scientist. From 1988 until last year,
he has been associated with the Department ofChemical Engineering of Yale University, first as
an adjunct professor and, since 1995, as a researchaffiliate. In 1994, he was a guest professor atJohannes Kepler University, in Linz, Austria.
Dr. Ettre has lectured throughout the world on
chromatography and received numerous national
and international awards. He is best known as theco-author of the basic textbook Static Headspace
Gas Chromatography and the contributor of theseries on Milestones in Chromatography publishedregularly in LC•GC Magazine.

Fifty years have passed since the introduction of thefirst PerkinElmer gas chromatograph. During thisperiod, many instruments have evolved, representing
a continuous, unbroken line. Each instrument logically followed its predecessor, retaining its good
features, while incorporating the newest advances.
This continuity in instrument evolution and theaccumulated knowledge of PerkinElmer’s chemists, engineers and physicists is the best guarantee
for excellence in scientific instrumentation in the
21st century.

PerkinElmer Life andAnalytical Sciences
710 Bridgeport Avenue
Shelton, CT 06484-4794 USA
Phone: (800) 762-4000 or(+1) 203-925-4602
www.perkinelmer.com
For a complete listing of our global offices, visit www.perkinelmer.com/lasoffices©2005 PerkinElmer, Inc. All rights reserved. The PerkinElmer logo and design are registered trademarks of PerkinElmer, Inc. AutoSystem, AutoSystem XL, Q-Mass 910, SIFI,
TurboMass, TurboMass Gold and TurboMatrix are trademarks and Clarus and PerkinElmer are registered trademarks of PerkinElmer, Inc. or its subsidiaries, in the
United States and other countries. Arnel is a trademark of Arnel, Inc. All other trademarks not owned by PerkinElmer, Inc. or its subsidiaries that are depicted herein are
the property of their respective owners. PerkinElmer reserves the right to change this document at any time without notice and disclaims liability for editorial, pictorial or
typographical errors.
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