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Buying Used LC/MS Equipment

Tips for Selling and Buying Used LC/MS Equipment

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If you work in a lab, analysis, precision, efficiency, and reliability are paramount. Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS) is a groundbreaking technology at the forefront of reliable sample analysis. It combines the robust separation capabilities of liquid chromatography with the precise mass analysis of mass spectrometry, offering scientists unprecedented insights into complex sample compositions. In this blog, we aim to help you sell or buy used LC/MS equipment.

What is an LC/MS Sample Analyzer?

Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC/MS) is an analytical chemistry technique that combines the capabilities of liquid chromatography (or HPLC) with mass spectrometry (MS). This coupling enhances the strengths of each technique, making it popular in chemical analysis.

Liquid Chromatography (LC): LC separates mixtures with multiple components, allowing for the isolation of individual compounds. This separation is achieved based on the differences in the affinity of the compounds for the stationary and mobile phases within the chromatography system.

Mass Spectrometry (MS): MS provides spectral information about the compounds separated by LC. It helps in identifying or confirming the suspected identity of each component. MS is highly sensitive and provides selective detection, eliminating the need for complete chromatographic separation.

LC/MS is particularly suitable for metabolomics (analyzing small molecules for biological insights) due to its ability to cover a wide range of chemicals. This tandem technique finds applications in various fields, including biotechnology, environmental monitoring, food processing, and pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and cosmetic industries. It can analyze biochemical, organic, and inorganic compounds commonly found in complex samples of environmental and biological origin.

Since the early 2000s, LC/MS (specifically LC/MS/MS) has also been utilized in clinical applications, expanding its utility to medical diagnostics and research.

Tips for Selling Used LC/MS Equipment

If you are selling an LC/MS system, focus on meeting the needs of potential buyers. When creating your listing, highlight the points that are most important to buyers in various industries as well as the unique value proposition of your LC/MS system. By gaining insights into buyer preferences, you can tailor your description to better match market demand and emphasize its key relevant features and benefits. 

If possible, offer a demonstration. This can instill confidence in potential buyers. Also, including demonstrations in your listing can give you an advantage over other sellers who are not offering demonstrations. This can be a deal-maker. 

Another way to stand out is by offering After-Sales Support. This includes offering technical assistance, training programs, and maintenance agreements to help buyers optimize the performance and longevity of their investment. This demonstrates your commitment to the buyer while increasing the perceived value of the sample analyzer you are selling.

Tips for Buying Used LC/MS Equipment

An LC/MS system can be a significant investment requiring you to carefully consider various factors. Ensure you select the right analyzer to meet your specific needs. Here are some tips for buying one second-hand.

Clearly define the specific requirements and objectives of your laboratory. This includes identifying the types of samples to be analyzed, required analytical capabilities, throughput needs, budget constraints, and compatibility with existing laboratory infrastructure. Understanding these factors upfront will help you know if the specific LC/MS system is what you need. 

If you are evaluating several sample analyzers, consider assessing the equipments’ sensitivity, selectivity, resolution, speed, ease of use, reliability, and maintenance requirements. By prioritizing factors based on their importance to the laboratory’s analytical workflow, you can make more informed decisions and choose the analyzer that offers the best overall value.

Search online for recommendations and reviews from other laboratories or industry experts about their experience with the system you are interested in. Unbiased reviews provide valuable insights.

Finally, you can negotiate price and warranty options with the seller. 

Conclusions

Buying and selling used sample analyzers offer significant cost savings advantages. For sellers, when you create your description, keep in mind what features and benefits your potential buyer needs, and if you can, offer a demo to build trust and accelerate the deal. For buyers, make sure you understand exactly what you need from the LC/MS system and seek online customer reviews before purchasing. 

You can see the latest used LC/MS equipment on our website. We are the one-stop site for used lab equipment on the web, connecting 1000’s of buyers and sellers.

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Agilent 5975 Gas Chromatograph Analyzes Vegemite Yeast Extract

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I know this is a cliche, but either you love it or you hate it. We’re talking about Vegemite. Actually, I’ve never tasted Vegemite, but I love to eat Marmite, a British and South African almost-clone of the Australian Vegemite. The rest of my family hates it. How can you kill a piece of toast with that extremely salty, hard-to-smear, strong smelling stuff, they ask?! In answer, I tell them that the trick is to spread a generous helping of butter on your toast, followed by a thin layer of Marmite. (If you’re avoiding either fat or salt, forget about it.)

But there is no need to convert the converted and I doubt I’ll be able to sway those diehard Marmite/Vegemite objectors.

I have to “import” Marmite from South Africa, where it is kosher. I hope my cousin does not have to pay for the extra weight of her luggage when she brings me my little jars of Marmite, but the good news is that it lasts FOREVER, so she does not have to satisfy my yeast extract fix too often.

Here are two of my current jars of Marmite.

Marmite

Marmite in my kitchen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So where does Agilent come into this culinary discussion? Well, I don’t know if the recipe for Vegemite has been as closely guarded a secret as the recipe for Coca Cola, but Renée Webster, an Australian pursuing her doctorate, has analyzed the contents of Vegemite to find the distinct chemical compounds that produce the unique odor of the much-loved (or much-rejected) yeast extract. The Agilent 5975 gas chromatograph played a major role in the Vegemite analysis by breaking up this smelly (but delicious) mass that smells distinctly of – well – Vegemite – into more than 35 compounds that smell of everyday items such as flowers, wine, and leather, and which seem to have no connection to the smell of the yeast extract itself. I’m not sure if I really needed to know what Vegemite (and possibly Marmite) is composed of. You would not normally catch me spreading anything that smells of wax – or rancid fat (yes, rancid fat really is one of the detected odors) – or sweat – on my toast!

Renée Webster conducted her analysis in three stages:

  1. Sampling: Using a kitchen knife, a Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) sampler, and a lab oven. I wonder if she regrets sacrificing to science the sample of Vegemite she needed for her experiment – never to be spread on a piece of toast!
  2. Separation: Using an Agilent 5975 GC/MSD (gas chromatograph with mass spectrometer) to separate the Vegemite compound into its multiple chemical components for individual analysis. The 5975 is built with 7890 GC technology. The gas chromatograph is responsible for the separation part of the process.
  3. Analysis: Using the mass spectrometer that, together with the included software, analyzes the detected chemicals. Hmm, couldn’t she simply use her olfactory system, that is, her nose, instead of the mass spec? Well, that might not be ideal if you want exact measurements, percentages, and specific odor descriptions.

According to the article, Agilent Helps Uncover Vegemite Mystique, on the Agilent News Hub, the GC performs the separation, and the mass spec does all the detection work. I’m guessing that with over 35 compounds and odors to detect, the 5975 GC/MSD is ideal because it allows for quick column changing; thus speeding up the detection and analysis process.

Here are a few of the top chemicals that were found in Vegemite, including their accompanying odors.

Vegemite Compound Analysis (Top three by percentage)

Percentage of TotalChemical CompoundAssociated Odor
43.8ethyl decanoatefruit, oil, sweet, wax
16.6ethyl trans-4-decenoatewax, leather, pear
12.5octanoic acid, ethyl esterfruity, fatty, floral, green, menthol, anise

To see the complete results of the separations and each component’s odor, you can read the Guardian’s Australia FoodBlog on the Vegemite analysis. As well, for details on the process Renée used to conduct her analysis, view her own blog.

If you are now inspired by the 5975’s work on Vegemite, take a look at the list of 5975’s currently available on Used-Line.

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