Enhancing capabilities of aspiration-type Ion Mobility Spectrometer using a Pulsed Sampling System and a heated transfer line

•A commercial aspiration IMS was appropriately adapted to incorporate a closed loop.•The closed loop IMS was connected with an in-house developed Pulsed Sampling System.•Performance was tested using an in-house developed test atmosphere generator.•Minimum detectable level, repeatability, linearity and sensitivity were examined. An aspiration-type Ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS) was connected to an in-house developed Pulsed Sampling System (PSS) through a heated capillary column acting as transfer line, after being modified to a closed loop IMS device. Performance of the whole system was evaluated using acetone gas standards in the concentration range of 200–2000ppb. Tests were carried out using an in-house developed chemical environment generator for producing acetone concentrations. The system presented long-term stability, linearity, sensitivity and low minimum detectable level; less than 286ppb for acetone with a closed loop that circulates 1300mL/min of purified air. Repeatability (RSD) was less than 15% for all concentrations. All data were produced in dry atmosphere inside the IMS; presence of moisture (e.g. when saturation of molecular sieves occurs) seems to severely reduce performance.