Posters & Presentations

Development of a Semivolatile Column Optimized for the Analysis of Hazardous Waste

10 Nov 2025

Analyzing basic, neutral, and acidic semivolatile environmental pollutants, such as those found in U.S. EPA 8270 at increasingly lower levels of detection, puts demands on the entire analytical system. One of the greatest challenges is maintaining system performance following repeated injections of highly contaminated samples. The goal is to develop a column tuned for PAH selectivity while maintaining the same elution profile labs expect from other silarylene “5-type” columns along with improved lifetime.

This presentation will review the details of the lifetime study results using contaminated extracts and will highlight the advantages of this column using a new deactivation and stationary phase.

Authors

  • Chris English

    Since 2004, Chris has managed a team of chemists in Restek's innovations laboratory who perform new product testing, method development, and applications work. Before taking the reins of our lab, he spent seven years as an environmental chemist and was critical to the development of Restek’s current line of volatile GC columns. Prior to joining Restek, he operated a variety of gas chromatographic detectors conducting method development and sample analysis. Chris holds a BS in environmental science from Saint Michael's College.

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  • Corby Hilliard

    Corby Hilliard started his Restek career in the Quality Assurance department where he spent his first seven years as a QA analyst and worked his way up to a senior QA analyst. He then moved on to the Innovations department in 2009 as a GC Solutions Advanced Scientist. His experience is predominately in gas chromatography (GC) using various detectors and mass spectrometry as well as troubleshooting and method development. His primary work for Restek is generating product application data, using new and existing products in food safety, petrochemical, environmental, and the GC accessories line. He also is involved with quality and R&D as well as new product development.

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  • Chris Rattray
  • Kristi Sellers

    With over 30 years of experience in chromatography, Kristi has worked for Restek as an applications chemist with experience in both GC and LC method development. She has also worked as a QC chemist and a process chemist in addition to her managerial positions in GC Column manufacturing, QC, the Applied Science Group, and R&D. Kristi is currently a senior product marketing manager for GC columns. She holds a BS in chemistry from Lock Haven University, an MBA from Regis University, and has been a Restek seminar instructor for more than three decades.

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  • Whitney Dudek-Salisbury

    Whitney is a Senior Product Manager for gas chromatography (GC) columns at Restek, where she oversees the company’s GC column portfolio, including fused Silica, MXT, PLOT, and packed columns. Whitney has over seven years of experience in process engineering, with a deep technical expertise in the development of manufacturing processes for GC columns and accessories. Since transitioning to product management, Whitney has focused on the energy and chemical market, becoming a member of ASTM D02 and D16 subcommittees. Whitney holds both a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Science in chemistry from Bucknell University.

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