Vernier Go Direct Mini GC, GDX-GC User manual

Go Direct®Mini GC™

(Order Code GDX-GC)

Use Go Direct Mini GC and the free Vernier
Instrumental Analysis™ app to teach students
chromatography with a portable gas chromatograph
that detects polar and nonpolar compounds.
Students can separate, analyze, and identify
substances contained in a volatile liquid or gaseous
sample.

Go Direct Mini GC can connect via Bluetooth®wireless technology or wired
via USB to your device.

Developed with Seacoast Science, Go Direct Mini GC uses an efficient,
software-controlled internal pump system. Go Direct Mini GC uses room air as
the carrier gas, so there is no need to purchase an external carrier gas tank and
deal with the associated safety measures or to maintain a gas filtration system.

This gas chromatograph can also be used to identify unknown compounds,
monitor chemical reactions, and measure products from distillations and
chemical reactions.

Analysis™ on your computer,
Chromebook™, or mobile device.
See www.vernier.com/ia for
Instrumental Analysis availability.

2. Connect the Go Direct Mini GC to
AC power.

3. Turn on your Go Direct Mini GC
by switching the power button to
the On position. The Bluetooth
LED will blink red.

4. Launch Instrumental Analysis.

5. Click or tap Gas Chromatography.

6. Select your Go Direct Mini GC
from the list of Discovered Wireless
Devices. Your sensor's ID is located
near the barcode on the sensor. The
Bluetooth LED will blink green
when it is successfully connected.

7. Click or tap Done. You are now
ready to continue your experiment.

Analysis on your computer or
Chromebook. See
www.vernier.com/ia for
Instrumental Analysis availability.

2. Connect Go Direct Mini GC to AC
power and to the USB port.

3. Launch Instrumental Analysis.

4. Click or tap Gas Chromatography.

5. You are now ready to continue
your experiment.

Note: Vernier products are designed for educational use. Our products are not
designed nor are they recommended for any industrial, medical, or commercial
process such as life support, patient diagnosis, control of a manufacturing
process, or industrial testing of any kind.

What's Included

l Go Direct Mini GC
l USB mini cable
l AC power supply
l Hamilton Syringe (1.0 µL volume)
l Two extra septa (a third septum is already installed)
l Chromatography Experiments with the Go Direct Mini GC™, an e-book

with five investigations, available as a free download from your Vernier
account

l Carrying case

Compatible Software

See www.vernier.com/manuals/gdx-gc for a list of software compatible with the
Go Direct Mini GC.

Getting Started

Please see the following link for platform-specific connection information:

www.vernier.com/start/gdx-gc

Bluetooth Connection USB Connection

1. Install Vernier Instrumental 1. Install Vernier Instrumental

Safety

Important: We strongly recommend that you read the entire manual thoroughly
before using Go Direct Mini GC for the first time. There are precautions and
usage suggestions throughout this manual that are important to know, prior to
doing your first data collection. Please wear the appropriate personal safety
equipment and use the instrument in accordance with the instructions in this
manual to prevent injury.

Caution: Go Direct Mini GC is designed to analyze volatile compounds. These
compounds may be toxic or highly flammable; therefore, follow the
manufacturer’s instructions when operating this instrument. Serious personal
injury may result from improper use of this instrument. Misuse of this instrument
may cause injury to the user and should be avoided. All analytes recommended
for use with this instrument are flammable and potentially toxic. However, less
than a microgram of analyte is released during normal use. Due to the small
amounts of analytes, there is no hazard that exhaust from the chromatograph
could cause a fire when used according to the instructions. To minimize
exposure to vapors, use this instrument in well-ventilated areas. Refer to the
Safety Data Sheet for each compound to be injected into the chromatograph. For
personal protection, we recommend that open reagent containers be handled in a
hood or well-ventilated area. All users or observers should wear appropriate
personnel protective equipment when operating this instrument, at a minimum
eye protection and protective gloves. Users are cautioned to avoid spills and to
clean up spill immediately.

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Connecting Go Direct Mini GC

See the following link for up-to-date connection information:

www.vernier.com/start/gdx-gc

Connecting via Bluetooth

Ready to connect Red LED next to Bluetooth icon flashes when

sensor is awake and ready to connect.

Connected Green LED next to Bluetooth icon flashes when

sensor is connected via Bluetooth.

Connecting via USB

Connected LED next to Bluetooth icon is off when sensor is

connected to Instrumental Analysis via USB.

Using the Product

Installation: The Go Direct Mini GC should be used in a room that is well
ventilated to allow for normal heating and cooling. Do not use the Go Direct
Mini GC in the presence of flammable vapors.

Unpacking and Setup: Open the lid of the Mini GC carrying case. Remove the
power supply, USB cable, and the Mini GC unit from the carton. Remove the
ties holding the electrical cords. (You may wish to store the two extra septa
separately for use at a later time.)

To avoid damage to the Mini GC, place the instrument on a flat surface away
from

l Excessive dust
l Liquids or mists
l Strong vibration
l Strong magnetic fields, electric fields, and/or high frequencies

Powering up the Go Direct Mini GC

Explanation of symbols

Operation of Go Direct Mini GC is controlled through Instrumental Analysis.
With this software, you can

l Connect to the Mini GC via Bluetooth
l Set a temperature profile, either using the default settings, or as described in

®

wireless technology or USB.

student lab instructions.

l Set a desired pressure to run the system (maximum of 21 kPa).
l Start and stop a run.
l Name a run.
l Save and export the data.
l Integrate the peaks and determine retention time

Analytes are injected into the instrument through the injection port. Optimal
results are obtained using the supplied 1.0 μL syringe for liquid analytes.
Instructions for using syringes are provided in the Care and Maintenance
section.

Because the Go Direct Mini GC can connect via Bluetooth wireless technology,
there is also a button on the instrument itself that initiates data collection once
the Mini GC is equilibrated to the set temperature/pressure profile.

Follow these instructions to collect your first chromatogram:

1. Put on goggles and gloves.

2. Connect the Go Direct Mini GC to your platform according to the Getting
Started instructions. Note: The instrument runs a preheat cycle that sets the
temperature to 75°C when first connected to Instrumental Analysis. It will
remain at this temperature until a temperature/pressure profile is applied.

3. Set the temperature/pressure profile. Note: Below is the default
temperature/pressure profile. This is appropriate for most samples. However,
you may want to adjust these according to the student instructions in the
Chromatography Experiments with the Go Direct Mini GC™ e-book. Once
you have set the desired parameters, click or tap Apply. This initiates the
temperature/pressure profile.

Start Temperature (°C) 45

connector to computer via USB

Power connector (24 Volt DC, 3 A)

Power on

Power off

To operate the Mini GC, plug the low-voltage jack of the power supply into the
power socket on the side of the instrument; insert the 120 VAC plug into an
outlet. Connect the Mini GC to your platform according to the Getting Started
instructions above.

Hold Time (min) 2

Ramp Rate (°C/min) 5

Final Temperature (°C) 95

Final Hold Time (min) 8

Pressure (kPa) 11

4. While the Mini GC is equilibrating, follow the steps below to clean and
flush the syringe with acetone or n-hexane. Important: The glass syringe is
fragile and can be easily damaged. Be careful not to bend the needle or bend

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the plunger. If the plunger is accidentally pulled out of the glass barrel,
reinserting it is extremely difficult, sometimes impossible. Never pull the
plunger back more than 50% of its total volume. Be careful not to bend the
plunger as you press it down. Do not remove the plastic spacer on the
needle.

a. Depress the plunger fully.

b. Submerge the tip of the syringe needle into the vial of acetone or n-

hexane.

c. Pull back the plunger to fill the barrel about 1/3 full of acetone or n-

hexane. Examine the barrel of the syringe and estimate the amount of
liquid in the barrel.

d. Expel the liquid onto a lint-free tissue or a paper towel.

e. Repeat Steps a–d at least two times, until you are comfortable pulling up

a liquid into the syringe and measuring the volume in the syringe barrel.
Use a lint-free tissue or a paper towel to carefully pat around the tip of
the syringe needle.

5. Follow the process in Step 4 to clean and flush the syringe with a sample,
such as pentane, to be injected into the Mini GC.

6. Once the Mini GC has reached the correct start temperature and pressure, the
indicator LED should turn green and the software will display a message
that reads, “Inject, then press collect button on device.” Collect 0.2 µL of
your sample, such as pentane, for injection.

a. To insert the needle of the syringe into the injection port of the Mini

GC, hold the syringe with one hand and steady the needle with your
other hand. Important: Supporting the needle guard and the lower part
of the needle with two fingers, as shown in Figure 1, can prevent the
possible bending of the needle. Insert the needle into the injection port
until the needle stop is fully seated. If the needle sticks, rotate it slightly
while inserting. Do not move the plunger yet.

Figure 1

b. Depress the syringe plunger; immediately following, press the white

Collect button on the Mini GC to begin data collection. Be careful not
to bend the plunger as you press it down. Pull the needle out of the
injection port immediately. As you withdraw the syringe needle, lift
straight up to avoid bending the needle.

c. While the data collection proceeds, repeat Step 4 to thoroughly clean the

syringe and needle. It may take more than three flushes to feel the
syringe plunger move smoothly again, which is your indicator that the
syringe and needle are both suitably clean.

d. The run will automatically stop after the allotted time or you can choose

to end it early if you are satisfied that all analytes have eluted
completely.

7. Name your sample appropriately. To do this, click or tap on the y-axis label.
Click or tap on Dataset Options next to the data set you wish to rename.
Click or tap Rename Data Set. Enter a name for the sample and click or tap
Rename.

8. Analyze your chromatogram using Add Peak Integral.

a. Select the peak of interest, if necessary.

b.

Click or tap on Add Peak Integral, . The retention time (min), area,
and % area will automatically appear below the graph. Rename “Peak 1”
to the name of the compound injected, if known, in the table.

c. Repeat steps a–b for additional peaks. Note: To adjust your selection,

drag the edges of your previous selection. To delete a peak selection,
click or tap the X in the upper right corner.

9. Click or tap on the File Menu to Save or Export your data. Note: If a peak
integration table exists, the data table is saved with the file. Export will not
have the information from the data table available.

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