Agilent 6890 GCs are still the workhorses in labs across the country, and split/splitless injection are the two most used GC injection techniques. Split is the most common because of its versality over a range of analyses.
Which method you use depends on the concentration of analytes, the sensitivity of the detector, and any specific method requirements. Split injection is ideal if your analyte concentration is high enough and your detector has higher sensitivity (such as an ECD or MS/MS). Splitless injection is needed if the analyte concentration is very low – splitless excels at trace analysis. This is where the split/splitless injector comes in – with a simple software-controlled adjustment, you can set the amount of injected analyte before an injection is made.
Check out the video to identify the parts of an Agilent 6890 split/splitless inlet.
More resources:
- Split/splitless inlet part numbers and illustrated parts breakdown (downloadable pdf)
- From Restek: Split vs. Splitless Injection (video)
- Split vs. Splitless injection GC/MS: A head-to-head evaluation of calibration performance on a Rxi-5ms GC column using EPA Method 8270 semivolatile organic standards and calibration criteria.
- Application Note 002: Selecting the Injection Mode in Capillary Gas Chromatography
- From Agilent: Change the Split Vent Trap – GC Troubleshooting Series
