Autosamplers for Purge and Trap: The Best Ones

 

Some sort of autosampler automates the loading of laboratory samples into the sample injector of a chromatograph. In combination, the autosampler and the sample injector are actually known as the autosampler injection system - a system that separates natural ingredients from the sample so the chromatograph can detect them. There are five important types of autosampler injection systems:

S/SL (split/splitless) injection systems
On-column inlet systems
PTV injector systems
Gas source inlet systems
Purge and also trapsystems

With its dynamic ability to trap low level compounds, the purge along with trap system is used for samples whose compounds occur at low-ppb (parts per billion) levels. When they choose an autosampler for purge in addition to trap, many laboratories narrow their choices to the Centurion WS Autosampler and the Archon/OI Model 4552 Autosampler. If you are evaluating these autosamplers, the very comparisons below will aid your evaluation.

Centurion WS Autosampler vs . Archon Autosampler

Comparing the Centurion WS to the Archon/OI Model 4552 should be done using criteria that determine the overall value of an icp autosampler to the user. These criteria are:

Analytical superiority
Mechanical robustness
Yields
Ease of use
Ease of maintenance
Analytical Superiority

The Centurion WS features electronic, three-position delivery, a programmable 1ul-100ul delivery, and does not require priming. These attributes give it one of the most versatile, reliable, consistent, and economical IS/Surr delivery products on the market. By using a fast hot water rinse in a fixed volume loop that will bring water in the pathway hot, and flushing the minimizer parameter terrain needle and transfer line with P&T's Bake gas, it also options excellent carryover reduction.

The Archon/OI Model 4552 features mechanical, two-position delivery, a 1ul delivery, and requires priming. These features make it a lot less versatile, reliable, consistent, and cost effective than the Centurion WS. Its poor hot water rinse with a syringe also offers less carryover protection.

Mechanical Robustness
The Centurion WS displays a high level of mechanical robustness due to the right after specs:

A fully supported X-Y-Z arm
Water vial sampling that occurs on the tray
A fiber optic vial sensor
Vial sensing during carry only for soil samples
An elevator mechanism that only carries soil
Entonar electronic design
A P&T concentrator that manages flow control
Fading of the syringe mechanism found in most autosamplers
In comparison, the specs for those Archon/OI Model 4552 are that it:

Has an arm whose left side is certainly unsupported
Does not sample water vials in the tray
Features a mechanical button (not a fiber optic sensor) that must be manipulated during vial travel
Has an elevator that moves both water and soil samples
Possesses an all-in-one printed circuit board instead of modular electronic design
Benefits separate pressure and flow control
Uses a syringe mechanism, which can end up in syringe errors.

Productivity

The Centurian WS achieves high productivity for its dual concentrator mode for liquid and soil samples, and its open-handed sample positioning of 100 water samples and 90 soil free templates. These features create cost savings for the GC/MC process and increase unsupervised autosampler operation. The Archon/OI Model 4552 lacks a dual concentrator mode and only features positioning for 51 samples.

Ease of Use

Featuring remote and intuitive Windows XP Software that is displayed on a 15" smart watch, the Centurion WS is one of the easiest autosamplers to use. In contrast, the Archon/OI Model 4552 cannot be controlled remotely, and features an interface which may be manipulated via a small keypad.

Ease of Maintenance

The Centurion WS possesses two features that make it easy to maintain: an error tracking and sample log, on-board real-time flow diagrams, and complete on-board diagnostic checks. The Archon/OI Version 4552 does not possess these features.

Conclusion

An autosampler for throw-up and trap is an important investment for independent researchers and laboratories the fact that analyze solids and liquids using the GC/MC process. Although many laboratories make use of Archon/OI Model 4552, it does not offer the same analytical superiority, mechanical robustness, productivity, ease of use, and ease of maintenance as the Centurion WS. For large laboratories and independent researchers whose funding depends on research cost and high-quality, the Centurion WS the best autosampler for purge and trap.