Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 24, 2025

An Inverse Analysis Approach to the Characterization of Chemical Transport in Paints
Published on: August 29, 2014
Determination of certain VOCs in paints and architectural coatings by dynamic headspace gas chromatography-mass
Nicholas P Alderman1, Matthew Courville1, Ryszard Tokarczyk1
1Analysis and Air Quality Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 335 River Road, Ottawa, ON, K1V 1H2, Canada. Nicholas.alderman@canada.ca.
Abstract:
A quantitative method for the determination of the following VOCs: acetone, dichloromethane, dimethyl carbonate, methyl acetate, tertiary butyl acetate, chlorobenzotrifluoride (4-CBTF) and propylene carbonate in paints was developed in support of Environment and Climate Change Canada's Automotive Refinishing Product and Architectural Coatings VOC Concentration Limits regulations. These compounds are excluded from the VOC definition by Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) regulations, and their content do not contribute to the overall VOC content in products for regulatory purposes. The method is based on Dynamic Headspace GC-MS. It was determined that activated carbon is the best trapping medium for these compounds. The technique has been compared to a currently used direct injection technique, with comparable results. Contrary to the direct injection method which requires complex sample handling prior to injection in the gas chromatograph, the dynamic headspace method practically eliminates the need for sample handling allowing for much shorter sample turnover and reducing the possibility of sampling handling errors.
More Related Videos
05:29Profiling Volatile Compounds in Blackcurrant Fruit using Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Coupled to Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Published on: June 9, 2021
05:22Rapid Collection of Floral Fragrance Volatiles using a Headspace Volatile Collection Technique for GC-MS Thermal Desorption Sampling
Published on: December 10, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS)
A gas chromatograph consists of a long, narrow capillary column with a polysiloxane coating on the inner wall....
Gas Chromatography: Introduction
In GC, a sample is vaporized and mixed with an inert carrier gas (the mobile phase), which transports it through a...
Volatilization
Gas Chromatography: Types of Detectors-II
Gas Chromatography: Overview of Detectors
A non-destructive detector allows a sample to be analyzed without altering or consuming it, meaning the sample can be collected after detection for further analysis. Examples include thermal conductivity detectors and...
Mass Spectrometry: Complex Analysis
GC–MS is a powerful hyphenated method commonly used in forensics and environmental...