AUTOMATIC PREDICTION OF RETENTION TIMES IN MULTILINEAR PROGRAMMED-TEMPERATURE ANALYSES

A method for the prediction of retention times of compounds analysed d uring programmed-temperature gas chromatography with capillary columns is described, which employs an explicit equation for the calculation of the gas hold-up time. The method can be applied to analyses carried out with different temperature profiles: constant linear programming rate, initial and final isothermal tract, different temperature gradie nts in the same analysis. The effect of the various parameters of the analysis on the accuracy of the predicted values was investigated.