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Has anyone seen a comparative list of typical run times of the techniques used in analytical chemistry? I am making a list of rough timescales of analytical techniques (for a slide). Assume that the sample preparation is aleady done.

For example: Volumetric titration may take up to 10 minutes

Gravimetry can take several hours to a day

NMR- several minutes

Electron spin resonance ?

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy: survey spectrum for surface analysis?

Auger electron spectroscopy for surface analysis

X-ray crystallography

Inductively coupled plasma: approximately a minute to read one sample

FTIR- minutes

Raman spectroscopy- typically a minute

HPLC- seconds to hours

GC/ Supercritical Fluid Chromatography/ Capillary electrophoresis - seconds to hours

Mass spec - less than a minute

Ion mobility spectrometry- milliseconds

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    $\begingroup$ There should be included 2 numbers. The device run time and analysis run time, as sample preparation can easily take 99% of time. $\endgroup$
    – Poutnik
    Commented Sep 22, 2019 at 6:40
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    $\begingroup$ Often, of course, it is not the time taken for the experiment itself but waiting in the queue, or travelling to a lab where the instrument exists to get it done, that is the limiting step. $\endgroup$
    – porphyrin
    Commented Sep 22, 2019 at 10:07
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    $\begingroup$ Proton NMR (1D) acquisition time can vary by orders of magnitude depending on concentration (sample amount), instrument sensitivity and relaxation times. For a standard experiment it is on the order of minutes. $\endgroup$
    – Buck Thorn ♦
    Commented Sep 22, 2019 at 11:07
  • $\begingroup$ On a modern XPS instrument, a non-gassy sample can be transferred from the entry airlock to the high vacuum chamber after 5-10 minutes, and a decent survey spectrum can be completed in a few minutes. Older systems will take longer. Auger analysis typically has fairly similar timescales. $\endgroup$
    – AndyW
    Commented Sep 23, 2019 at 12:20
  • $\begingroup$ Should gas chromatography (GC) also be on the list? And what about "hyphenated" techniques like LC-MS or GC-MS? $\endgroup$
    – Curt F.
    Commented Sep 23, 2019 at 17:15

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Proton NMR (1D) acquisition time can vary by orders of magnitude depending on concentration (sample amount), instrument sensitivity and relaxation times. For a standard experiment it is on the order of minutes.

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  • $\begingroup$ Any ideas about the analysis timescale of Auger spectroscopy. I attended a workshop on it 8-9 years ago but don't remember how much time it takes to run a sample. I think after inserting the sample in XPS and Auger, it takes considerable time to generate the vacuum needed. $\endgroup$
    – ACR
    Commented Sep 23, 2019 at 6:49
  • $\begingroup$ @M.Farooq I left my answer open as a community wiki, I am hoping others will contribute to the answer so we can compile a list. There are others who know more about Auger and will hopefully add some information about it. $\endgroup$
    – Buck Thorn ♦
    Commented Sep 23, 2019 at 6:55
  • $\begingroup$ Auger can be performed with an electron microscope, the answer would be as you suggest, a question of achieving the required vacuum. $\endgroup$
    – Buck Thorn ♦
    Commented Sep 23, 2019 at 6:58
  • $\begingroup$ There is a risk of the question being quite open-ended. As mentioned in earlier comments sample prep can vary enormously within and between techniques. Even in NMR depending on what you want to observe (consider for instance selective isotopic labeling). $\endgroup$
    – Buck Thorn ♦
    Commented Sep 23, 2019 at 7:00
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    $\begingroup$ Yes, I will edit the question so that we eliminate sample preparation. My interest for a slide was to show how much time it takes to analyze the prepared sample and get useful signals out of it. I think the fastest is ion-mobility spectrometry so far- on the order of milliseconds, the analysis results are out. $\endgroup$
    – ACR
    Commented Sep 23, 2019 at 7:04

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