CryoTrap
Efficient Trapping and Preconcentration of Volatile Compounds
Overview
The JAS CryoTrap is designed to trap and preconcentrate very volatile components prior to their injection onto a gas chromatographic (GC) column.
This refocusing step results in narrower injection bands, significantly improving peak shape, resolution, and compound identification in chromatographic separations.
By preventing peak broadening, the JAS CryoTrap enhances both integration accuracy and qualitative interpretation of volatile compounds — essential in environmental, petrochemical, and flavor/fragrance analysis.
Design and Function
Specially designed for installation in Agilent 8890 GC systems, the JAS CryoTrap features a low thermal mass, highly effective insulation, and an extremely fast heating rate (up to 700 °C/min).
This ensures stable operation at any column oven temperature and rapid desorption of trapped analytes, leading to sharper chromatographic separations.
Cooling Options
The JAS CryoTrap offers multiple coolant choices, providing flexibility and cost-efficiency across different applications:
- Liquefied Nitrogen (N₂): –160 °C
- Liquefied Carbon Dioxide (CO₂): –60 °C
- Dried Instrument Air: For ambient or oven-initial temperatures
This versatility ensures optimal performance for both high-sensitivity and high-throughput analyses.
Technical Highlights
- Double-chamber stainless steel design for optimal insulation
- Low coolant consumption due to high-efficiency design
- Fast thermal ramping for efficient sample transfer
- Fully integrated control via Agilent OpenLAB Software
- Compatible with capillary columns for maximum performance
Operation
The CryoTrap is installed on the left-hand side of the GC oven wall. The analytical capillary column is routed through the trap, which is cooled using the selected coolant.
During operation, volatile compounds are condensed and trapped. Upon rapid heating, these compounds are instantaneously released and injected in a narrow band onto the analytical column for superior separation and detection.
