Performance of Thermal Desorption for Quantitative Analysis of Long-Chain Hydrocarbons

This study investigates the ability of Markes’ thermal desorption (TD) systems to monitor semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), using a wide range of n-alkanes (n-C₁₆ to n-C₄₄) as a model. Markes demonstrate how modern TD technology delivers robust and repeatable results for compounds across this wide boiling range and can therefore be used to enhance GC–MS analysis of trace SVOCs in air and other matrices. It's also shown how highly repeatable re-collection of TD samples is a convenient approach to validating analyte recovery in accordance with standard methods.