COMPUTER-SIMULATION AS AN AID IN METHOD DEVELOPMENT FOR GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY .3. EXAMPLES OF ITS APPLICATION

The use of computer simulation for developing optimized gas chromatographic (GC) separations is illustrated for several samples. Resolution maps (plots of R(s) vs. heating rate r) for different starting temperatures provide a means for the rapid exploration of separation as a function of the temperature program in the case of programmed-temperature GC. Isothermal separations are easily developed by trial and error, because of the speed of computer simulation. More complex samples may require multi-ramp temperature programs; these require a greater method development effort, but partial resolution maps can help facilitate this process.