INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE UTILITY OF AN INORGANIC SALT EUTECTIC COLUMN FOR TRACE HYDROCARBON DETERMINATIONS

A gas chromatographic column employing an inorganic salt eutectic mixtures as stationary phase, used by other workers in crude oil analysis, was applied to trace hydrocarbon analysis for oil pollution studies. At the recommended phase loading of 30% by mass, sufficient surface activity was manifested by the column to render chromatograms of high molecular mass alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (introduced at abundances of .apprx. 20 ng/component) irreproducible, although reproducibility was evident with injections of hydrocarbon mixtures as .apprx. 1 mg/component. The excellent resolution of the n-C17/pristane and n-C18/phytane pairs, which is a major characteristic of this column, was always in evidence.