Go Beyond Textbook Theory
This mini-course is a comprehensive, practical guide to Gas Chromatography (GC) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
With An Axion Lite Membership
Access All 7 Videos and PDF Guides (more coming)
Summary of Practical Skills
By the end of this mini-course, you will be able to:
Half-split problems to isolate issues in both GC and HPLC systems.
Optimize run times without sacrificing resolution.
Physically install columns and maintain injectors.
Interpret chromatograms to diagnose hardware faults versus chemical issues.
Bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world success.
The course moves beyond textbook theory, focusing on real-world operation, method development, maintenence, troubleshooting and optimization.
Demystifing Gas Chromatography (GC):
Hardware Anatomy & Gas Management: You will learn the “plumbing” of a GC system, including the flow path from gas cylinders (or generators) through the inlet, column, and detectors. You will understand the safety and cost benefits of using hydrogen and nitrogen generators over traditional cylinders.
Method Development Strategy: You will learn how to create a “scouting run” to analyze unknown samples, starting with a universal temperature program (e.g., 40°C to 300°C). You will also learn how to optimize these methods for speed by adjusting linear velocity and temperature ramp rates to reduce run times from over 9 minutes to under 2 minutes.
Solving Separation Roadblocks: You will discover what to do when standard boiling-point separation fails. The course covers how to change selectivity by switching from a standard non-polar column (DB-5) to a polar column (Wax) to separate complex isomers like Xylenes.
Troubleshooting & Maintenance: You will learn to diagnose common issues like peak tailing (often caused by a dirty liner) and how to perform “hot maintenance” to fix it without shutting down the entire system.
Demystifing High Performance Liquid Chromatography (GC):
Visualizing Separation Theory: Using the “Grape Kool-Aid” experiment as an analogy, you will learn the chemistry of separation based on polarity. You will understand how analytes choose between the stationary phase (C18) and the mobile phase (water/methanol).
System Components & Operation: You will explore the HPLC flow path, understanding that the instrument is simply a collection of simple parts (bottles, degassers, pumps, and detectors) working together. You will learn how reciprocating pistons generate high pressure and how pulse dampeners smooth out the flow.
Preventative Maintenance: The course covers critical maintenance habits, such as adding 5% methanol to aqueous bottles to prevent algae growth and identifying pressure ripples to diagnose pump issues.
Hardware Repair: You will learn specific repair skills, such as changing pump seals (recommended every six months) and replacing the rotor seal in the autosampler when peak area reproducibility fails.
About Dr. Lee Polite, a Chromatography Expert
Dr. Lee Polite, President of Axion Analytical Labs, has trained thousands of scientists worldwide. He provides in-depth chromatography training to every major pharmaceutical, chemical, and petroleum company in the US along with all leading government labs.
It’s time to bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world success.
Take Your Chromatography Skills to the Next Level
Master chromatography and take the drivers seat of your HPLC/GC and of your career.