Split Injections Increase your Throughput for Semivolatiles Analysis by EPA Method 8270

It seems strange to think that using a split injection verses a splitless injection has anything to do with analysis time, but it does! When you are using a split injection the initial oven temperature can be much higher compared to a splitless injection.  Since the transfer of analytes onto the head of the column is much faster for a split injection you don't have to worry about solvent focusing, or cold trapping which requires the oven temperature to be 20° C lower than the solvent boiling point.  In fact, by using a 10:1 split, we started the oven at 80 °C and were able to get good peak shape for early eluters 1,4-dioxane, N-nitrosodimethylamine and pyridine.  Now we save on analysis time and the oven cool down time!