Estimating precision and accuracy of GC-TCD method for carbon dioxide, propane and carbon monoxide determination at different flow rate of carrier gas

Abstract

Investigation on precision and accuracy of gas chromatography equipped with thermal conductivity detector (GC-TCD) method for the measurement of CO2, C3H8, and CO as pollutant models at different flow rate of helium (He) carrier gas ranging from 17.50 to 36.25 ml/min were conducted. It was found that percentage of relative standard deviation (%RSD) values for both precision an accuracy show an overall gradual decrease as the carrier gas flow rates increased up to 25 ml/min. After that, the %RSD was found to increase with a further increase in the flow rate. These findings indicate that the flow rate of 25 ml/min was found to be the most precise and accurate level among all flow rates tested under experimental conditions of this study. While the %RSD values obtained at all flow rate are given in details. Consequently, our results suggest that the flow rate of carrier gas was a determining parameter for varying the precision and accuracy of the GC-TCD method. Owing to the fact that carrier gas act as a transporter of components of the mixture in the form of vapor or gas through the column, setting of the flow rate of carrier gas should in proper level achieve a precision and accuracy of the GC-TCD method.

Keywords

• precision
• accuracy
• gas chromatography
• vehicle emission
• pollutant