1
Introduction
8
User Guide
Overview
The Agilent Low Thermal Mass Series II Rapid Heating/Cooling System for Agilent 8890 GC
(LTM) is designed to enhance the column temperature programming capabilities of the Gas
Chromatograph (GC). The LTM oven door accepts up to two LTM column modules, each of
which contains a GC capillary column that can be independently temperature programmed.
These column modules provide a fast ramp temperature programming capability compared to
the standard GC oven. The column modules interface through the existing oven to the GC’s
existing samplers, inlets, detectors, and other accessories.
The Agilent LTM system achieves its ramp rates by packaging a capillary GC column into the
LTM column module. Within a module, the GC column is formed into packed coils using
resistively heated wire and a temperature sensor. The high efficiency of this proprietary design
provides fast heating and cooling of the GC columns with greatly reduced power requirements
compared to a conventional GC oven. Mounting the modules outside the conventional GC
oven allows them to cool rapidly with ambient air. The GC oven heats the columns which
connect the LTM column module to the inlet or detector. This system provides great flexibility
to configure the GC oven in different ways using the available inlet, detector, and capillary flow
technology (CFT) flow-splitting options.
The LTM is compatible with the Agilent 8890 GCs with firmware revision 2.0.0 or greater.
