HPLC &amp; GC Education

Cleaning a reverse-phase HPLC column is easier than you might think. With just two steps—water first, then organic solvent—you can flush out salts, buffers, and sticky residues that drag down your separations. Follow this recipe, and your column often feels like new.

HPLC Columns Explained: Understanding Carbon Load and Surface Area for Better Separations

Most chromatographers know whether they’re using a C18 or a C8 column. Some might even know their particle size. But very few stop to consider two finer details that can make a big difference in your separations: carbon load and surface area.

What’s the Difference Between Superficially Porous and Totally Porous HPLC Columns?

Let’s do a deep dive into HPLC particles. Specifically, the difference between totally porous and superficially porous materials—and why it matters for efficiency and pressure.

Co-Elution: The Achilles’ Heel of Chromatography (and What You Can Do About It)

Chromatography is the most widely used analytical tool in modern chemistry. But there’s one scenario where chromatography simply doesn’t work—and that’s co-elution.

By Lee Polite | Gas Chromatography Training, HPLC Training

Understanding the Master Resolution Equation: Your Key To Easier Method Development & Troubleshooting

For any chromatographer, whether seasoned or just starting, the ultimate goal is to achieve good separation between analytes. This separation, known as resolution (Rs), is not a matter of chance but can be understood and manipulated through a fundamental relationship called the master resolution equation.

3 Essential Gas Generators for Gas Chromatography (GC) Explained – Hydrogen, Air & Nitrogen Generators.

Gas chromatography (GC) relies on a steady and reliable supply of gases, making gas generators an essential component of a well-functioning GC system.

Negative Peaks in HPLC Refractive Index And UV Detectors

RI detector showing negative peaks? It's not a mistake! Most of us in the lab are pretty familiar with the sight of a good, strong positive peak on our chromatograms. It's what we expect, right?

GC Sample Prep Essentials: Nailing Solvents, Dilution & Injection

When you're working with Gas Chromatography (GC), one of the most critical steps is getting the sample into the GC. You might already understand gas flow paths and general instrument operation—but none of that matters if your sample isn’t prepared correctly.

Pyrolysis GC: How to Analyze Paint, Plastics, and Polymers with Gas Chromatography

Pyrolysis literally means “breaking down with heat.” In this technique, we take a very small solid sample, like a chip of plastic or paint, and burn it at high temperatures. As the material decomposes, it produces a mixture of gases—these are the pyrolysis products.

How to fix “GC-MS vial out of range” error?

Running into a "vial out of range" error on your Agilent GC or GCMS system? Don’t worry—it’s a common mistake with an easy fix. I'll explain what causes this error and how to solve it, especially if you're using an Agilent 7683 autosampler.

Reference wavelength, Peak Purity, and Threshold – Diode Array Parameters and Tools.

If the reference wavelength is activated, should the spectra range include the reference wavelength too? If not, what will happen? I'm going open ChemStation to answer the question.

Will Highly Acidic or Basic Samples Affect an HPLC C18 Column?

The general rule in HPLC is that we always want to dissolve the sample in the mobile phase—that is the ideal situation. If the sample solvent is the same as the mobile phase, it will just disappear; it will blend in.