Problem 3 - part 1

The following steps should be followed in the installation of a new capillary column in a GC.

Make sure that the oven has cooled completely.
Check the rest of the GC system including the septum, gas traps, gas flows, cylinder pressures, liners or any other area that requires periodic adjustment or replacement.
Place the appropriate ferrule and column nut on the column before doing any cutting of the column.
Scribe the column coating carefully with an appropriate tool a few cm from the end, and then break it by pulling and bending. Inspect the cut with a magnifier to be sure that you have a perfectly even cut, perpendicular to the column surface and that there are no fragments or cracking of the column.
Hang the column in the oven being sure that there are no sharp bends that might overstress the column and cause breakage.
Attach the column to the injector, being careful not to overtighten the column nut.
Check the gas flow by inserting the end of the column in a container of light solvent (hexane or methanol) and check for a steady stream of bubbles.
Install the column on the detector, using a similar procedure as for the injector.
Set the oven temperature to 50 degrees C or less and verify gas flow and detector operation by injecting a non-retained compound into the column. If a broad or tailing peak is obtained, check the following: breakage of injector liner, improper position of column in the injector or detector, leaks in the fittings, leaks in the septum, uneven cuts in the column ends, ferrule or septum dust in the column, split ratio too low, or low makeup gas flow.
Condition the column at the isothermal temperature limit for several hours, until a stable baseline is achieved.
Perform a bleed test to provide a baseline for future bleed measurements.
Run a test solution to verify column performance and provide a baseline for future measurements.

References:

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