TIME-SAVING AND COST-SAVING APPROACH FOR LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY VACUUM-SYSTEMS

A refrigerated trap system is described for recovering the mobile phas e utilized with popular liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry interf aces. By efficiently freezing the excess LC effluent, vacuum system co mponents are protected from rapid wear and scheduled maintenance inter vals can be substantially extended. The modest cost of the system is e asily justified based on the increased lifetime afforded to expensive vacuum pumps and the added convenience, time savings and the safety ga ined by the elimination of dry ice-solvent or liquid nitrogen bath sys tems.