Sometimes customers need to analyze natural gas and petroleum products, whether it is to confirm the purity of the product by looking for the impurities which may be present, or for an environmental reason such as a spill or leak….
If you use the correct fittings and seals in the gas chromatography system, and follow some simple steps, there is absolutely no need to over tighten any fitting to achieve a leak free seal. For almost all fittings that use…
As we approach the end of the year we are indulging in a bit of nostalgia and most experts agree that reminiscing about the past is a good thing1. It makes us more optimistic and generous. Researchers also noticed that…
LC-MS/MS using electrospray ionization (ESI) is a widely used platform for routine target analysis and quantitation. However, one big challenge faced through the use of ESI is the presence of matrix effects. So, what are matrix effects and why are…
If excessive force is applied at an angle to a fitting or column connector, the ferrule could become stuck in the column end fitting. Likewise, a PEEK connector, column nut or plug can also break and leave part of it…
My colleague, Joe Konschnik and I have been asked by many food chemists out there about how much they can trust their pesticides mixes after they combine them into one single larger mixture for calibrating their instrument, or monitoring the…
Analysis of PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) has been a hot topic for envoironmental labs for the last several years. Currently there are two C8 based PFAS compounds (PFOA and PFOS) with a health advisory level of 70 ppt…
One of the most common questions I am asked by customers is “Why is my peak shape so poor?” Another is “I do not see a peak for my compound, what should I do?” Sometimes they are developing a new…
Bile acids are a group of steroidal acids with carboxyl and hydroxyl groups on the side. They are the major metabolic products of cholesterol. Bile acids play important roles as biomarkers for early diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of many diseases,…
My first blog here at Restek was a demonstration of how increasing the source temperature could improve the raw response of 2,4-dinitrophenol while maintaining the relative response. Four years later I’m here with the promised follow-up on the elevated source…
