Historically, most gas chromatography labs have used helium as a carrier gas. Helium offers the benefits of being non-combustible, inert, and provides moderate speed of analysis. In contrast, hydrogen is flammable, and may be reactive under specific conditions. However, it produces high-speed analysis and generates sharper peak shapes.

For those researchers who value time and increased sensitivity, hydrogen is a smart alternative. Further, given that helium is a limited resource and much more expensive than hydrogen, many labs are switching to hydrogen carrier gas.

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