This application note describes a rigorous QC column testing approach that employs active tests probes to verify the inertness performance of modern GC capillary columns.
The document discusses how traditional batch testing and conventional OC tests may fail to detect defects in high-quality gas chromatography columns. It proposes a new, more demanding test procedure that uses specific chemical probes at lower temperatures to identify column deficiencies such as active sites or poor deactivation.
Agilent Technologies details the parameters for this rigorous test, including a specific mixture of solutes like propionic acid and n-decane, and outlines adjustments made for high-volume manufacturing. The note provides example results for Agilent J&W DB-5ms Ultra Inert and HP-5ms Ultra Inert columns, demonstrating how the new tests differentiate between column quality levels.
| Test Temperature | 65 °C, isothermal |
|---|---|
| Carrier Gas | Hydrogen |
Tests should be run at lower isothermal temperatures where sorptive forces are stronger to better detect column deficiencies.
The mixture includes propionic acid, octane, nitrobutane, 4-methylpyridine, trimethyl phosphate, 1,2-pentanediol, propylbenzene, 1-heptanol, 3-octanone, and decane.