What substances can a gas chromatograph detect?
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What substances can a gas chromatograph analyze? As far as I know, the FID detector can detect trace amounts of organic compounds； TCD can be used for constant semi-micro analysis, applicable to both organic and inorganic substances ； I wonder if there are more specific ranges; for example, can carbon dioxide, hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon monoxide all be measured using a gas chromatograph? Are there any substances that could cause interference between them?
The GC range is quite broad, so it’s hard to say for sure; factors such as the choice of column also play a role. In general, it’s used to analyze organic substances that can be easily vaporized and do not decompose at high temperatures. The boiling point of these substances should not be too high. Carbon dioxide, hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon monoxide can all be analyzed using gas chromatography; a TCD is sufficient for this purpose. However, when detecting hydrogen, it’s best not to use hydrogen as the carrier gas. If it must be used, the subtraction method can be employed.
The detection limit for sulfur- and phosphorus-containing compounds using the flame photometric detector method can be as low as 0.001 ppm; it is also possible to detect isomers
What I mean is, with a gas chromatograph, regardless of the type of column or detector used, can it detect most non-metallic compounds or elements? With the exception of organic substances that are easy to vaporize or decompose at high temperatures, thank you to the two people who replied above!