Q: Are cetificates issued on completion of the course? A: Yes, certificates are issued to all attendees and this is also the case for on site training
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Q: Do you provide on-site training as well and if so how much does it cost? A: Yes, we do. The advantage of on-site training is that the content of the day's training can be specifically targeted at your company's application. All the material presented therefore is directly relevant. It is also appropriate if your lab cannot afford to have the staff too far away for the day in case they are required.
The cost is dependent on location and quotation can be quickly provided.
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Q: I seem to have excessive column bleed with my WAX column, what should I do. A: It is possible the column is at the end of its life and time to throw it in the bin. However, the two main factors which will shorten a WAX column's lifetime are heat and oxygen. Make sure the oxygen trap on the carrier gas line is OK and that there are no other leaks where oxygen can get into the system ie leaky septum or inlet ferrule or faulty liner seal. This is especially important when the column is near the maximum allowable operating temperature.
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Q: Split or splitless liners, can they be interchangeable? Do I need to swap my liner when I change injection modes? A: The short answer is they are interchangeable. The long answer is it is very dependent on your application. If you are analysing volatile compounds then I definitely recommend a narrow bore liner (eg. 2mm ID). For semi-volatile compounds it doesn't really matter. You can also use a narrow ID liner in split mode but the down side is that the reduced volume of the liner makes it less robust to larger volume (> 2?L) injections.
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Q: What is the best way to recondition my column? A: The first thing to try is a thermal reconditioning. For this, it is recommended to slowly ramp the oven temp (10?/min) to 20?C above the maximum temperature of your method (ie. to 300?C if the max method temp is 280?C) and hold the temp there for 1 hour.
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Q: What is the best initial oven temperature if I am doing splitless injection? A: Ensure your initial temperature is at least the boiling point of the solvent, preferably 10-20?C below the boiling point of the solvent. This is especially important to get good peak shape for the early eluting compounds.
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Q: What is the best initial oven temperature if I am doing splitless injections A: Ensure your initial temperature is at least the boiling point of the solvent, preferably 10-20?C below the boiling point of the solvent. This is especially important to get good peak shape for the early eluting compounds.
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Q: I notice my HPLC column has an arrow printed on it. Does it make a difference which way the mobile phase flows through the column? A: Yes it does.
When the column is made, the particles are packed under extremely high pressure and when the column is eventually used for an analysis, the column will yield more efficiency (plates) if operated in the flow direction. However, using the column in the opposite direction, although producing less plates, won't damage the column. In fact, the column is usually turned around when cleaning the column to remove highly retained hydrophobic components stuck at the head of the column. This is carried out by pumping a high percentage of organic modifier through the column which has been disconnected from the detector.
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