Analytical Instrumentation Research Laboratory

Founded in 1969, the Analytical Instrumentation Research laboratory is one of the original laboratories in what became the Environmental Engineering group.  Originally established to develop hyphenated techniques (thermogravimetric-gas chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, etc.), this laboratory currently specializes in research method development involving high-resolution gas chromatography (HRGC).  Various HRGC columns are combined with in-line, high-performance, multidimensional gas chromatography and thermal instrumentation systems to better characterize the thermal decomposition properties of organic materials.

The technical personnel in this laboratory possess capabilities in multiple disciplines, including mechanical and chemical engineering, materials science, and analytical chemistry. To learn more about our unique capabilities in instrumentation development, please contact Richard Striebich, Wayne Rubey or John Graham.

Several  specially designed instrumental assemblies have been created here to address large throughput analyses.  Specifically, dedicated systems have been developed for:  1) analyzing dissolved gases (oxygen, nitrogen) in jet fuel, 2) measuring trace quantities of water in organic mixtures or fuels, and 3) assessing the carbonaceous fouling that occurs with complex deposits in metal conduits.  In addition, a metal column sheath assembly (CSA) was designed for performing defined modes of GC operation.  An inverse gas chromatography (IGA) assembly was designed and constructed in this laboratory for adsorption measurements.

This laboratory is also on the frontier of a new area of research involving multidimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (MDGC-MS), which provides a higher resolution capability for complex mixtures.  Equipment available includes a modified Hewlett Packard 5890 GC for conducting multidimensional GC studies, specialized GC detectors, and coupled high-resolution column fabrication facilities.  Research is also continuing on a novel, fast, high resolution GC technique referred to as thermal gradient programmed gas chromatography (TGPGC).  A block diagram of this technique and photo of a development apparatus are shown below. 

This laboratory has functioned as the embarking point for many diverse research projects in the Environmental Engineering group.  Much early engineering and design work involving quartz and metal thermal reactors was done in this laboratory, wherein initial high-temperature oxidation studies were also conducted.  Key studies addressing GC elution zone measurements, resolution calculations, and transport descriptions were performed here, and involved a variety of laboratory personnel whose efforts date back to the early 1970s.  Several conceptualized designs and tubular reaction systems were introduced in this laboratory.  These include: the isothermal aging-gas chromatography (ITA-GC) assembly, intricate tubular reactor-analytical systems, e.g., the TDAS and the STDS, and a variety of test-cell assembly (TCA) equipment which were installed in the versatile mainframe systems. 

Various tubular thermal-analytical systems in this laboratory have been used to investigate the decomposition behavior of hundreds of organic samples ranging from pesticide formations to the characterization of carbon fibers.  Many of these tubular thermal systems used a transport process known as a random entry-controlled thermal exposure (RE-CTE) process, and many of these types of experimental tests were in the form of physical simulations.  Some of the research that has been conducted in this particular laboratory has resulted in specific inventions and patents, for example improved gas chromatography techniques and unique sample admitting systems.  Also, a wide range of hardware fabrications, design activities, equipment refinements, and related experiments have been performed in this laboratory.