The EHI can be used to collect a sample by simple attachment to any sparging cell; then after the sample is collected the EHI is connected to the gas chromatographic inlet. Priorto desorption, a flow controller is used to establish a flow of 30 mllmin through the EHI and into the injector. A split flow greater than the EHI flow is required if the column head pressure is to remain constant, although short splitless periods can be tolerated. The temperature of the EHI is then rapidly increased to the desired desorption temperature. This fast heating rate causes rapid vaporization and transfer of sample into the capillary (comparable to that of a syringe injection). For most solutes it is not necessary to thermally contain the compound at the head of the capillary column; however, for less volatile compounds it is necessary to inject at a column temperature which will ensure that the solute is contained at the column head. This effect is shown in Figure 2 which demonstrates that there is no observable loss of column efficiency for the injection of a mixture of dodecane, tridecane, tetradecane, and hexadecane (n-Cln, n-Cj3, n-C14 and n-C16 hydrocarbons, respectively) by either syringe or EHI. Chromatogram A was run isothermally at 150OC while chromatogram B was held at 50°C during desorption; then the oven was heated at the maximum rate of 32°C/min. to 15OOC. The thermal conditions of chromatogram B were necessary only to sharpen the elution profile of n-Cq6 (6. P. 287OC). It was observed that no such thermal focusing was necessary to obtain sharp peaks for n-Cj4 (B. P. 248OC).In conclusion, we have developed a simple apparatus which can be used to collect samples external to the chromatographic system and then inject these samples directly on to a capillary column without serious loss of chromatographic efficiency.