C-TAG

“Comprehensive TAG”, developed with UC Berkeley, extends the thermal desorption aerosol gas chromatograph to include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in addition to semi-volatile vapors and particles, spanning C5 to C30 compounds.

C-TAG extends the collection capability of the TAG family to include gas phase precursors that form aerosols in the atmosphere, which is one of the major sources of organic particle content. The C-TAG is built around two independent collection and gas chromatography modules coupled to a shared time-of-flight mass spectrometer (gc-HRTOF by Tofwerks). Custom miniature gas chromatographs have been developed to separate molecular species in the gas and particle channels. Each channel features a custom collection cell optimized for the two volatility ranges to be measured plus dedicated online calibration modules for full quantification. The instrument is fully automated including calibrations for continuous, unattended operation in the field.