School Science Project question
Chromatography Forum: GC Message Board: School Science Project question
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By Anonymous on Sunday, December 7, 2003 - 08:22 pm:

I am working on a project to find the best solvent for seperating out the elements of purple, red, and green markers. I put the colors on the bottom of filters and dip them in a solvent. I am using coffee filters. Will it make a difference if I use the brown unbleached filters or bleached filters?

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By Russ on Monday, December 8, 2003 - 04:53 am:

Depending on the inks and solvents, it might make a difference what type of filters you use. Hate to sound like a broken record but, if you need some basic information on chromatography try:
http://www.itsjustabox.com
It provides a basic discussion of paper chromatography and shows an example where different papers can provide significantly different separation.

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By mbg on Monday, December 8, 2003 - 11:36 am:

Perhaps you can try both filters and make it a part of the project. Could get some extra credit??

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By Mike on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 07:56 am:

Russ

I loved the "GC recollections" bit of your site. I am old enough to have used the Pye 104, and the Perkin Elmer F11, F30 and F17 but I had no affection for them, though we did once do a spoof video baking pies in the F30. My favorite GC of all time was the HP5880 - one hell of a quantum leap for us in 1981.

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By Russ on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 05:36 am:

Wish I could take credit for it but it isn't "my" site. I also liked the recollections page, though it is depressing to realize just how old some of the equipment I have used really is! The first GC I used extensively was the HP5750. As the site mentions, the temperature programming was set by moving a handle into notched slots but the biggest problem I had with it was that the oven max was set by moving a switch in a slot where the temperature indicator was, and tightening a nut down when the switch was at the correct temperature. If the switch was not tightened sufficiently, it would get moved along with the temperature indicator to the maximum temperature the oven would reach! Not a lot of fun having to repack 12' columns! I also used the HP5880, though I went from a 5890 at one job to a 5880 at another so it was more like a quantum leap in the wrong direction for me.

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By ralph on Friday, December 12, 2003 - 06:41 am:

Russ,

It's a very long shot - but would you happen to have a picture of the 5750 for my site?

I updated the links quite recently.

Mike,

Did you know that there is a PYE 104 club? It is only semi-serious. I hope to give them a page on my site to include their unofficial GC museum.

Regards,

Ralph

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By Russ on Saturday, December 13, 2003 - 05:21 am:

Ralph: Wish I could help but, I don't have a picture of the 5750.

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By Ralph on Saturday, December 13, 2003 - 11:48 am:

Russ,Thanks for the reply. Someone at Agilent must have read this because I just received a picture from Brant Brown at Agilent - fantastic.

Regards,

Ralph

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By ralph on Monday, December 15, 2003 - 01:53 am:

And to Anon, I apologise for hijacking your thread.

Ralph

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By Jonny5 on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 03:15 pm:

You may have just aquired a picture of a 5750, but we still actually use one for CO/CO2 and methane analysis in industrial gas streams. While all the aggravations you mentioned are very real; (try getting an FID lit!)it actually works pretty well for what we use it for. What a relic!