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Chromatography consumables include everything from the columns, vials, and chemicals, you use to prepare, handle, and run your sample for analysis.
Read on for more information about the types of columns, vials and well plates, and sample preparation techniques chromatographers use to prepare and analyze samples.
Physical separation of individual sample components happens on the column stationary phase.
Analytical techniques like liquid chromatography and gas chromatography use different column chemistries to separate compounds based on polarity.
Chemical attributes such as polarity, presence of certain functional groups (e.g., amines, acids, aromatic rings, etc.), compound size, or stereochemistry influence analyte retention and selectivity on the column. Column properties, such as column packing material and pore size, column length, and internal diameter affect separation efficiency.
There are many chromatography columns, and the chemical composition of each varies based on the instrument type, analytes of interest, and application.
GC columns are open tubes called capillary columns.
Visit our selection guide to see the variety of GC columns we offer.
HPLC columns are closed stainless steel or polyether ether ketone (PEEK) tubes filled with small silica particles or polymer, referred to as the stationary phase.
Visit our selection guide to learn more about the variety of LC columns we offer.
Whether you are performing HPLC or GC analysis, using a guard column helps protect your analytical column from deterioration by contaminants.
Learn more about the chromatography guard columns we offer.
Changing column length
Changing internal diameter (ID)
Changing particle size for HPLC columns
Particles in HPLC columns vary in size and the choice of particle size can significantly alter the performance of your chromatography method.
Changing film thickness for GC columns
Sample vials and plates in chromatography are the physical containers you use to hold samples for injection into your instrument and storage.
Throughout every analysis, vials/plates store and preserve the integrity of your samples before, during, and after analysis. Contrary to common belief, vials can affect your compound integrity and data quality. Hence selecting the right vial for your application is imperative.
Choosing a vial color and material compatible with your sample is important for supporting sample integrity, quantitative accuracy, and analytical precision.
Learn about our selection of chromatography vials and caps.
Vial material type
Vial material may impact your analysis more than you think. Glass quality and using materials other than glass may improve your method significantly for certain applications.
Vial size and design
The size and design of a vial you choose depends upon the volume of your sample. The smaller your sample volume, the smaller the vial volume you should use.
Vial color
Certain analytes are light-sensitive, and may even decompose when exposed to light, affecting sample integrity, separation efficiency, and peak resolution.
Vial cap types
How you seal your vial affects the accuracy and precision of your method. The two biggest factors depend on how long your sample sits in the vial and the room temperature.
Most injection solvents in chromatography are organic and have a low boiling point, which means the solvent will evaporate if not sufficiently sealed. Insufficient sealing of samples can give you irreproducible results or incorrect quantitation due to preconcentration caused by evaporation, and reduced method robustness.
Septa
The septum you choose for your vial will also impact your analysis.
Each instrument vendor uses different injector needle types and, for some instruments, having pre-slit septa, or a material with a lower shore (hardness) value will help reduce the chances of needle issues, such as needle bending.
Choosing a septum with a tight seal is key to preventing compound loss if your compounds are volatile.
Various septum types available are:
For HPLC applications, there is also the opportunity to use 96 well plates for higher throughput.
Well-plates come in various volumes, shapes (round well, square well, U-bottom, V-bottom), and materials.
Some 96 well plates are glass coated, to provide a higher quality sampling and throughput.
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.