Performance of capillary columns for high-temperature gas chromatography

The developments in stationary-phase synthesis and capillary column technology have opened new perspectives in the analysis of high-molecular-weight compounds (600 daltons) and thermolabile organic compounds by high-temperature-high-resolution gas chromatography. This branch of high-resolution gas chromatography deals with analysis performed up to 390 degrees C oven temperature (with some applications going up to 420 degrees C and even a few applications to 450 degrees C maximum). The technique has been applied to many different fields of science (e.g., organic geochemistry, environmental chemistry, archeology, and natural product research). Apolar and medium-polar gum phases can now be operated at temperatures from 400 to 480 degrees C, but these higher temperatures are seldom used because of the thermostability of the material used to make the capillary tubing. This paper shows the performance of nine commercial high-temperature columns when used in routine applications.