Chromatography Forum

Hi, I am new in chromatography.
I am having problem with Acclaim Surfactant column.
Somehow colegue broke ferrule and little metal part from ferrule stuck in end fitting of column.
We try to remove it, but it is really stuck.
Suppliers told me that they can not find just end fitting for this column.
I try to use end fittings from other columns we have, but they don't fit.

Can anyone help me? Is it possible to find just end fitting?
Or does anyone have bad Acclaim with good end fitting?

Thanks

take small screw driver and hummer. Put your column in a vise. Press screw driver against the broken ferrule and tap it, you need to make a dent in the ferrule that you can unscrew the broken part

Swapping the whole end fitting will probably spoil the column.

Is the ferrule metal or plastic (PEEK) ?

Do you have access to a workshop ?

Peter

Ferrule was metal. Professor gave end fitting to mechanic in workshop, they manage to remove metal part, but as You predicted they spoil the end fitting, so now I can not place column in column compartment (can't roll on viper).

Now we definetly need new end fitting.

Thanks for the help, any more ideas, besides buying new column?

Now that it is really messed up, the only way is to buy a new column.

Peter

Does anyone have bad Acclaim column?

I wanna buy end fitting.

Thanks for all the help.

The problem with trying to change the end fittings is that it will leave a void between the frit and the packing that will degrade the column performance.

Peter

The problem with trying to change the end fittings is that it will leave a void between the frit and the packing that will degrade the column performance.

Yes, but the column is dead now in any case. Aside from the time involved (and in academia, time is *cheap* because it's done by indentured servants -- excuse me, grad students ), there's little to lose by trying it.

Column was used just three times. It is a pity to throw it, without trying to change fitting.
I will try to find this fitting from other column of same type.

send me picture of the end-fitting, I can try to see if I have old column in the lab. I am not sure that this will work since you disturbed silica bed and will probably have splitted peaks. What you are usually analyzing? I can send you a one of our mixed-mode demo columns, which can be used in the analysis of wide range of compounds.

P.S. I realized that you are in Serbia, and shipping there can be 20-60 dollars . Unless I put this in regular envelop.

I guess , acclaim is produced by Thermo-Fisher and the end fittings are replaceable.
Thermo using a different technology for end fittings , you can easily remove end fitting and leave the packing undisturbed. The PEEK supported frits are separately capped on the column head so it is not disturbed by removing the end fitting.

You only need a spare end fitting or a bad Thermo column to remove the fittings.

Can you just use a PEEK fingertight fitting instead of stainless steel if the column recess is a little damaged? You may have to replace the HPLC inlet tubing to do that.

Column bed is undamaged. It think ferrule broke when coleague unhooked column. Acclaim is produced by Thermo-Fisher, but their distributers in Serbia told me that they can't replace it with new one.

KM-USA, can You explain me more detailed how do You mean to use PEEK fingertights instead?

I guess , acclaim is produced by Thermo-Fisher and the end fittings are replaceable.
Thermo using a different technology for end fittings , you can easily remove end fitting and leave the packing undisturbed. The PEEK supported frits are separately capped on the column head so it is not disturbed by removing the end fitting.

You only need a spare end fitting or a bad Thermo column to remove the fittings.

Yes I agree with You, but other Thermo column we have in laboratory don't fix. They are Hypersil Gold C8 and C18. I think I need Acclaim column, but can't find in Serbia another user with this kind of column.

send me picture of the end-fitting, I can try to see if I have old column in the lab. I am not sure that this will work since you disturbed silica bed and will probably have splitted peaks. What you are usually analyzing? I can send you a one of our mixed-mode demo columns, which can be used in the analysis of wide range of compounds.

P.S. I realized that you are in Serbia, and shipping there can be 20-60 dollars . Unless I put this in regular envelop.

Can You send me your e-mail adress?