Chromatography Forum

Does anyone have a spreadsheet/database with the complete Kovats Indicies available?

Dear pseudotexan

I don't think anyone has any such thing. There are several publications of data tables that have been published for a limited number of analytes.

Private companies have collected their own data for the own purposes.

Perhaps if you would make your specific needs known, someone might be able to assist you.

best wishes,

Rod

Pseudotexan,

I presume that you need the indices for hydrocarbons. I do not have spreadsheets but the following are good sources.

ASTM methods D5134, D6623 and D6730.
ASTM method D3695 gives indices for alcohols.

Gasman

I am not sure what you are asking for in your question. However, I think you are asking for a set of tables of retention indices where you can check the retention index perhaps of a compound on a series of columns of different polarity.

There is such a thing called the Sadtler retention index volumes, which contain retention index data of a large number of organic compounds. I checked and you can buy this from Agilent. I am not sure if it is necessary to use Agilent columns, or whether a generic column can be substituted for the particular Agilent phase advertised. I think this sort of stuff has somewhat fallen out of fashion since the advent of cheap GC-MS instruments, but nevertheless, obtaining retention data on two columns of different polarity is still a powerful means of confirming peak identity.

Sadtler Retention Index

The Sadtler Gas Chromatography Standard Retention Library is a four-volume reference set that identifies compounds by retention indexes alone. It catalogs over 2,000 compounds by their retention behavior on three different HP Ultra capillary columns.

Ordering Information

9320-5791 Retention Index Library

19091-65020 Retention Index Kit of Capillary Columns

Kit includes the three columns used to generate the RI data in the Sadtler Retention Index Library

I am looking for the most complete index of Kovats I can find. I am not interested in capillary columns as I primarily work in packed. I would like to find a spread sheed that I could sort by index or compound. I am also looking for a Mcreynolds list as I am getting tired of looking at the very fine print may copy has.

Dear PseudoTexan

If you can share with me your address I might have some contacts in Texas from which you could ask for information.

Rodney George
Senior Research and Development Scientist
Gas Separations Research
Supelco
595 North Harrison Road
Bellefonte, PA 16823

814-359-5737 voice
814-359-5459 fax
rodney.george@sial.com

Although not a spreadsheet, the NIST web book has Kovats indices for many compounds searchable by chemical name.