Beyond Helium: Alternative Carrier Gases for GC and GC-MS

In GC, helium is predominantly used as the carrier gas. However, its high and increasing cost, combined with concerns over supply security, is prompting many laboratories to consider alternatives. Nitrogen and hydrogen can also be used as carrier gases, offering the advantages of lower cost and more secure availability, with the potential to be generated in the laboratory.

These presentations will explore the different options available, the key considerations when switching from helium to nitrogen or hydrogen, and the common pitfalls or issues that might arise.

Application data will demonstrate method translation, column scaling, and performance across demanding food and environmental contaminant analyses.

Presentation 1: Using a Different Carrier Gas in GC and GC/MS

• Jaap de Zeeuw, Global Technical Expert, CreaVisions

This presentation will discuss several options to choose from and what the implications are when moving from helium to nitrogen or to hydrogen.

Presentation 2: Carrier Gas Conundrum: Smart Solutions for Helium Alternatives

• Mark Sinnott, Application Engineer, Agilent

In this talk we will take out some of the guesswork associated with making the important decision of whether to switch from helium to other alternatives, such as hydrogen or nitrogen, and help you decide if the switch is right for you.

Presentation 3: Driving Sensitivity and Sustainability in GC-MS with Atmospheric Pressure Ionization and Nitrogen

• Frank L. Dorman, Ph.D., FRSC, Resident Scholar, Department of Chemistry, Dartmouth College

This presentation examines how atmospheric pressure gas chromatography (APGC) enables nitrogen to be used as a practical alternative to helium while maintaining sensitivity and separation performance.

Presentation 4: 7 Steps to Switching your GC Gas Supply from Helium to Hydrogen

• Ed Connor, Product Manger, PEAK Scientific

With helium shortages becoming increasingly common and several regulated methods now permitting the use of hydrogen as a carrier gas, join Dr Ed Connor as he discusses the necessary steps to consider when switching your GC carrier gas.

By attending this webinar you will be able to:

• Evaluate which carrier gas is most appropriate for a given GC or GC-MS application, considering instrument configuration, analytical requirements, and method performance.
• Understand the practical considerations when transitioning from helium to hydrogen or nitrogen, including implications for chromatography, method translation, and routine analysis.
• Recognise the specific challenges and considerations associated with using hydrogen carrier gas with mass spectrometers, including the use of a Hydro Inert Source.
• Understand how atmospheric-pressure gas chromatography (APGC) differs from conventional electron ionisation (EI) and how APGC can deliver high sensitivity in GC-MS/MS workflows.

What you need to know:

• Date: 16 September, 2026
• Start time: 7 am PDT (Los Angeles) / 9 am CDT (Chicago) / 10 am EDT (New York)  / 3 pm BST  (London) / 4 pm CEST (Paris/Berlin)
• Duration: Approximately 2 hours

Presenter: Jaap de Zeeuw (Global Technical Expert, CreaVisions)

Jaap is a world-renowned chromatographer with over 40 years of experience, including 15 years with Restek and 27 years with Varian/Chrompack prior to joining Restek. Throughout his career, Jaap has focused on the chromatographic challenges of industrial analysis. For his 1979 graduation from The Institute for Higher Education, where he specialized in chemistry, Jaap authored a paper titled "The Challenge of Coating Flexible Fused Silica Capillary Columns" and has since distinguished himself as an authority on the subject. Jaap has been directly involved with the creation of numerous chemically bonded columns, including the first bonded PEG column and the stabilized PLOT columns widely used in the petrochemical arena. He has also helped develop new techniques, such as fast GC-MS using vacuum GC technology (low-pressure GC or LPGC). Over his innovative career, he has filed several patents for his work. Based out of the Netherlands, Jaap is extensively published and regularly travels internationally to share his knowledge. After retiring from Restek, Jaap founded CreaVisions, where he works as a GC Consultant and teaches master classes on key GC topics as well as on creativity in science.

Presenter: Mark Sinnott (Application Engineer, Agilent)

Mark Sinnott works for Agilent Technologies as a Technical Support Engineer in the Consumables and Supplies Division (CSD). In his position at Agilent, Mark performs technical support and applications assistance to gas chromatographers worldwide. He has more than 35 years of experience in gas chromatography, including environmental analysis of compounds in air, soil and water matrices, including dissolved gas analysis for the electrical industry. Mark holds a Master’s Degree in Chemistry from California State University, Sacramento, and currently resides in Twin Falls, Idaho.   

Presenter: Frank L. Dorman (Resident Scholar, Department of Chemistry, Dartmouth College)

Frank Dorman, PhD, FRSC, is a resident scholar in Dartmouth College's Chemistry Department, where he teaches analytical chemistry. At Waters, he oversaw the research-focused environmental market, external collaborations, and interfaces with R&D for product development. Previously, he was Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Penn State University. His research interests span gas and liquid chromatography, instrumentation and column development, mass spectrometry, and atomic spectroscopy for trace analysis in complex matrices.

Presenter: Ed Connor (Product Manager, PEAK Scientific)

Dr. Ed Connor joined PEAK in 2013 as a gas chromatography (GC) product specialist before moving on to product management. He’s been working on many collaborative projects with PEAK customers and major instrument manufacturers worldwide. The main focus of these collaborations has been looking at conversion from helium to hydrogen carrier gas for GC applications. Ed completed his doctor of science degree at ETH Zurich in 2007 using GC-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to look at herbivore induced plant volatiles and their interaction with beneficial insects. He then joined the University of Zurich where his work focused primarily on floral volatiles analysis using a variety of volatile collection methods, GC-MS and GC-Flame Ionization Detection.