ABSTRACT
The commercial market for gas chromatographs became an extremely attractive target for entrepreneurs and many of the modern instrument manufacturing units arose from 'garage industries' that originated at that time. Varian Aerograph started by acquiring Wilkens Chromatography originally started by Kean Dimmick at Walnut Creek, California. The contemporary gas chromatograph retains the same essential parts of the basic chromatograph, but additional devices have been added, some to improve the chromatographic performance and some to render its operation simpler and easier. The gas chromatograph can emit a considerable amount of heat during operation and thus it is highly desirable that the gas chromatograph is installed in an air-conditioned laboratory. Chromatography techniques are extensively used for repetitive assays in process and product control and, consequently, many of the sample preparation procedures have been automated. The software may include a bank of chromatographic retention data together with search programs to help identify the eluted solutes.
