Determination of Benzene and Toluene: A Modified Approach to ASTM D3606

Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced a new gas chromatography (GC) method for a rapid, automated determination of benzene and toluene in gasoline.

The traditional ASTM D3606 method to determine these compounds in motor and aviation gasoline uses packed columns and a thermal conductivity detector (TCD).

This application features the use of a split/splitless (SSL) injector with a backflush configuration, a flame ionization detector (FID), and capillary columns, which combine to eliminate the need for expensive packed column sets or a dedicated instrument assigned to analyze a small sample set.

The Thermo Scientific™ instant connect SSL injector with backflush is a user-installable, compact and self-sufficient module featuring all the required hardware components and the electronic carrier gas controls.

Application Note 52284: Simplification of the ASTM D3606 Method for the Determination of Benzene and Toluene in Gasoline demonstrates the use of this instant connect split/splitless (SSL) injector with backflush capabilities to offer a simple, compact and convenient hardware solution that keeps the analytical column and the detector cleaner than traditional methods.

This application demonstrates excellent repeatability and reproducibility using the innovative Thermo Scientific TRACE™ 1310 GC, which is a versatile system that can easily accommodate other applications with a quick change of injector and detector modules on the same platform in a matter of a few minutes.