Chromatography Forum

I am very unfamiliar with packed columns. I am trying to run menthol at 100ppm in chloroform; I get solvent peaks but no menthol peak. Any idea why?

Maybe 100ppm is to small for you to detect. Start with significantly higher concentrations of menthol, maybe 10,000ppm and work your way down.

Then you'd at least know what the menthol retention time is.

There are lots of different things you might have done (I and others in the past as well) which can give you these results.

The output of your amplifier may be set too low.

The temperature of your oven may be set too low.

The loading of your column may be to low so the menthol and solvent don't separate.

Your detector is not working properly.

Your sample may be splitting off before it reaches the detector (a leak).

Of course, with more clearly detailed information in your question it is more likely that someone will be able to give you the correct answer rather than guessing.

good luck,

Rod

I agree with Rod, in fact check that the GC is actually on, i came across 3 postdocs trying to get separation from a GC that was off! And NO, i am not pulling legs here. Fair Dinkum stuff!

Greg

I helped a PhD in a different department in the 1970s who had a giant leak in the (packed column) inlet end, so he couldn't even get a solvent peak. Once I noticed that, the fix was easy...