ABSTRACT
A number of different techniques have been developed and utilized to offset the limitations of single dimension gas chromatography (SDGC) and increase both the quality/quantity of information that can be extracted from gas chromatographic separations. These techniques represent a number of hardware configurations and are loosely bound under the broad definitions that have become known as multidimensional gas chromatography (MDGC). This chapter explores the application of those forms of MDGC that do address the limitations of SDGC as a separations tool. The rigid mounted through-wall approach is typically a tubular passage that is machined into or encased in a brass heater block. This approach carries the advantage of superior temperature control, both from the standpoint of uniformity of heat distribution and the buffering of heat cycling. New and emerging technologies such as neural network-based detector technologies and other chemometric-based pattern recognition techniques offer promise as useful tools for the rapid quality control screening of samples for composite aroma quality.
