Determination of percent composition of a mixture analyzed by gas chromatography: Comparison of a helium pulsed-discharge photoionization detector with a flame ionization detector

We present the results of a study of percent composition for a mixture which has been separated by gas chromatography and analyzed using helium pulsed-discharge photoionization detection (He-PDPID) and flame ionization detection (FID). FID has long been the means by which the percent composition of a hydrocarbon mixture has been determined since it has been previously established as a “carbon counting device”. However, in this study we present results which show that He-PDPID is more accurate in determining the percent composition of a hydrocarbon mixture and, because it is a universal detection method and can detect compounds that FID cannot, it is also more effective for determining the percent composition of mixtures containing organic compounds with a variety of other functional groups.