Shimadzu has released the TD-30 series of thermal desorption systems. These are pretreatment units for gas chromatographs (GC) and gas chromatograph mass spectrometers (GCMS).

In addition to maintaining the excellent basic functionality of the previous model, this series offers significantly improved durability and processing ability. A proprietary approach has been adopted for the flow line and tube heating mechanism. As a result, a wide range of components, from low to high boiling point components, can now be accommodated. The series consists of two models. The midrange TD-30 model can accommodate up to 60 samples. The high-end TD-30R can accommodate 120 samples, and is capable of recollection and the addition of internal standard substances.

A thermal desorption system is a pretreatment unit in which a tube that concentrates volatile components is heated, and the volatile components from the tube are loaded into an analytical instrument with high sensitivity. It has been used for the analysis of toxic substances in the atmosphere and substances responsible for sick house syndrome included in building materials and interior materials. In recent years, automotive interior materials and electrical equipment materials have been added as targets of analysis, and the detection of compounds with a wide range of boiling points is required. In response to such needs, Shimadzu developed the TD-30 series, which can accommodate components from low to high boiling points. As pretreatment units for GC and GCMS, they are intended for a variety of analysis targets, including toxic atmospheric pollutants, flavor components in food products, the air in clean rooms, and unusual odors from products.

The high-end TD-30R can place 120 samples, the largest capacity in the industry, making it suitable for automated analysis at night and on non-working days. It includes an overlap function, which starts the pretreatment of a sample while the previous sample is still being analyzed, dramatically improving the processing functionality. The flow line from the tube to the heater is 30 cm long, the shortest for this class of product. It is inert and there are no cold points, so residue is minimized and recovery is heightened, enabling the analysis of high boiling point components such as phthalates and cyclic siloxane.

With the TD-30R, low to high boiling point components can be recollected by cooling the tube at high speed after it is heated. Collecting the target components only once reduces the risk of failed analysis. In addition, the accuracy of quantitative analysis has been improved by a function that adds internal standard substances automatically.

The sample tray position has been lowered to make it easier to use. In addition, consumables can be replaced without using tools, so the system is easily handled even by first time users. Dedicated software simplifies learning the operating method, while an optional barcode reader function enables highly reliable sample management.