Introduction of large volumes of water-containing samples into a gas chromatograph: Improved retention of volatile solutes through the swing system

The swing system is designed for introducing large volumes of water-containing samples into a gas chromatograph. Sample evaporation and solvent–solute separation are performed in separate compartments. This widens the application range to compounds of higher volatility. Sample evaporation takes place in a hot chamber packed with Carbofrit. Solvent–solute separation is performed in a cascade of increasing powers of retention. While high boiling solutes are retained in an oven-thermostatted retaining precolumn, the more volatile components are retained by a packed bed of sorbents of increasing powers of retention situated in a programmed temperature vaporiser. For elution, the gas flow is reversed and the solutes are discharged from the heated packed bed through the retaining precolumn into the separation column.