Gas Chromatography

PerkinElmer’s Gas Chromatography (GC) systems are designed for high-precision analysis of volatile and semi-volatile compounds. Trusted by labs worldwide, our GC and GC-MS instruments deliver fast, reliable results for environmental testing, food safety, and industrial quality control.

With advanced detectors, flexible configurations, and powerful software, our solutions consistently ensure accuracy, compliance, and peak performance in every single run.

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GC Applications by Industry

Gas chromatography is one of the most versatile analytical techniques in the modern laboratory, used wherever volatile and semi-volatile compounds need to be separated, identified or quantified. From trace contaminants in drinking water to flavor profiles in food and active ingredients in pharmaceuticals, PerkinElmer GC and GC-MS systems support analytical workflows across every major regulated industry.

Environmental Analysis

Gas chromatography is the workhorse technique for environmental laboratories monitoring volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and persistent organic pollutants. PerkinElmer GC systems are widely deployed for air analysis, organics in water analysis, drinking water testing, and the analysis of contaminants of emerging concern including PFAS and endocrine disruptors. Methods such as US EPA 8260, 8270 and 524 are routinely run on Clarus GC and GC-MS platforms.

Food Safety and Quality

Food and beverage laboratories rely on GC to detect pesticide residues, mycotoxins, flavor and aroma compounds, residual solvents and packaging migrants. Applications span beverages (including wine, spirits and beer), edible oils, flavorings and spices and meat and seafood. Headspace sampling with TurboMatrix and Thermal Desorption accessories enables high-sensitivity detection of volatile contaminants without manual sample preparation.

Petrochemicals and Fuels

GC is fundamental to the analysis of petrochemicals and fuels and biofuels, supporting ASTM, GPA, ISO and DIN methods for refined products, natural gas composition, transformer oil analysis and biofuel characterization. The PerkinElmer Arnel pre-configured analyzer range - including detailed hydrocarbon analysis (DHA), simulated distillation and refinery gas analysis - provides ready-to-deploy solutions for petrochemical QC laboratories.

Forensics and Toxicology

GC and GC-MS are core techniques in forensics and toxicology laboratories, supporting drugs-of-abuse screening, accelerant analysis in fire investigations, blood alcohol determination and the identification of unknown organic compounds in casework samples.

Choosing the Right Gas Chromatography System

Selecting a gas chromatograph involves matching system configuration to your analytical workflow, sample throughput, target compounds and regulatory environment. The three most important decision points are detector selection, sample introduction, and software and data handling.

GC Detector Types

The detector defines what your GC system can "see" and at what sensitivity. Most PerkinElmer GC systems support multiple detector configurations, including dual-channel setups for greater analytical flexibility.

• Flame Ionisation Detector (FID) - the most widely used GC detector, offering excellent linearity and sensitivity for hydrocarbons and most organic compounds. Standard choice for petrochemical, environmental and food analysis.
• Thermal Conductivity Detector (TCD) - a universal detector responding to any compound with thermal conductivity different to the carrier gas. Ideal for permanent gases, fixed gases and applications where non-destructive detection is needed.
• Electron Capture Detector (ECD) - highly sensitive to halogenated compounds, making it the detector of choice for pesticide residues, PCBs and chlorinated solvents at trace levels.
• Nitrogen Phosphorus Detector (NPD) - selective for nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing compounds, used extensively in pharmaceutical and pesticide analysis.
• Flame Photometric Detector (FPD) - selective for sulphur and phosphorus compounds, used in petrochemical and environmental applications.
• Mass Spectrometer (MS) - provides definitive compound identification through mass-spectral data. The Clarus Nova GC-MS combines GC separation with mass-selective detection for unambiguous results.

Sample Introduction Techniques

How you introduce the sample to the GC column directly affects sensitivity, reproducibility and the types of matrices you can analyse.

• Liquid autosamplers - automated injection of liquid samples for routine analysis.
• Headspace sampling - sampling the vapour phase above a heated liquid or solid sample. PerkinElmer TurboMatrix Headspace systems are widely used for residual solvents, blood alcohol, and volatile organics in environmental matrices.
• Thermal desorption - concentration and transfer of volatile and semi-volatile compounds from air samples, sorbent tubes or solid materials. TurboMatrix Thermal Desorber systems support ambient air monitoring, indoor air quality testing and emissions analysis.
• Pyrolysis - thermal decomposition of solid samples for polymer characterisation and microplastics identification.

Single-Channel vs Dual-Channel Configurations

Single-channel GC systems handle a defined set of analyses through one inlet, column and detector path. Dual-channel configurations let you run two different methods on the same instrument (for example, FID and ECD in parallel) increasing throughput and reducing capital cost for laboratories with diverse analytical needs.

Software and Data Handling

Modern GC software does more than control the instrument. It manages methods, processes data, ensures regulatory compliance and integrates with laboratory information systems. PerkinElmer chromatography and mass spectrometry software supports 21 CFR Part 11 electronic records, audit trails and method validation workflows, alongside intuitive data review tools for high-throughput laboratories.

GC-MS and Hyphenated Techniques

When confident compound identification matters, not just detection, gas chromatography is paired with mass spectrometry to create a hyphenated technique. Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) combines the high-resolution separation of GC with the molecular fingerprinting of MS, allowing analysts to identify unknown compounds, confirm targeted analytes and quantify at trace levels in complex sample matrices.

GC-MS is the technique of choice for applications where false positives are unacceptable - environmental forensics, dioxin and PCB analysis, doping control, residual solvent identification and pesticide multi-residue methods. The PerkinElmer Clarus Nova GC-MS platform integrates GC separation, mass-selective detection and automated workflows in a single, sustainable system.

Beyond GC-MS, PerkinElmer offers a broader range of hyphenated technology solutions that couple chromatographic separation with spectroscopic detection, including TG-IR, TG-MS and TG-GC-MS for thermal characterisation of polymers, pharmaceuticals and advanced materials.