TITLE
Near Real-Time GC Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds Using an
On-Line Micro-Trap

AUTHOR(S)
Mitra, S., Lai, H. J., and Jackson, M.

PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS
Department of Chemical Engineering 
Chemistry and Environmental Science
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark, NJ  07102

SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS
Source Methods Research Branch
Methods Research and Development Division
Atmospheric Research and Exposure Assessment Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC  27711

ABSTRACT
Micro-traps act as sample pre-concentrators for gas chromatography
(GC) that can be used to make repetitive injections every few
seconds.  A thermal desorption micro-trap is made from a short
segment of thin tubing containing an adsorbent or a chromatographic
stationary phase.  A carrier gas containing the analyte of interest
can be introduced into the GC analytical column through the micro-
trap which acts as a sample trap.  Rapid heating of the micro-trap
releases a "concentration pulse" of the analyte that serves as a GC
injection similar to that from an injection value.  Micro-traps can
be used in various applications such as process stream analysis,
fast and multi-input chromatography.